HetaEmma
by KAT of fanfiction
Summary: I never wanted this to happen. I might have been a fan, but I never wanted to meet the Hetalia cast like this. Now, all I can do is run, and hope I survive. HetaOni fic with an OC.
1. Chapter 1

**I randomly decided to do a HetaOni fic, since I finally got around to playing the game. Why must I torture myself so? Anyways, this version WILL HAVE SOME CHANGES. You have been warned.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, HetaOni, or Ao Oni. I only own my OC.**

"Downloooooooooad!" I whined at my computer. So far it had been downloading a total of thirty seconds. I wasn't exactly what you would call 'patient'.

"Yes! Finally!" The game had finally finished downloading. I moved my mouse to the 'New time loop button' but-

"Emma! Time for dinner!" Mom called. I groaned. Hetaoni or food? "Emma!" Food it was. I pulled my blonde hair into a pony tail and checked the mirror to make sure that I was presentable. Once I decided that a grey sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers that I was too lazy to take off counted as presentable, I headed downstairs.

~One Plate of Pasta Later~

"HetaOni time!" I cheered, bouncing into my seat. "Aaaaaaand… play!" I clicked the button. After all the disclaimers it told me to put in a password. I sighed as dramatically as I could (which wasn't very dramatic) and went to find the pass code. Then there were more disclaimers and I finally got the entrance code, 19205215.

There was a video of America Mochi running in a house and trying what I assumed to be the front door. It was locked. The screen went black and words showed on the screen.

"ChOse YouR WEapOn." This confused me a little. From the little fan art that I saw on the internet, you didn't get to choose weapons. Then again, I knew next to nothing about HetaOni.

Little images of weapons appeared on the screen. There was a battle axe, what looked like a rifle, a spear, a frying pan (Was that a Hungry reference?), and a katana.

"Well that's easy." I muttered. "Katana! Awesome Japanese sword for the win!" I pressed the arrow keys so that I was hovering over the katana and selected it. The screen went dark.

"WElcoMe tO My GAme." Was written on the screen, and everything went black.

* * *

I woke up in a kitchen. Or at least, that's what it looked like from behind the counter. There was a katana lying next to me. Groaning, I picked up the katana and pulled myself up using the counter. In doing so I accidentally knocked over a plate. The sound made me jump.

"Heh… sorry whoever owns this house." I muttered. I bent down and started carefully picking up the pieces. There was a noise behind me. Still spooked from the plate crash, I jumped again and swung the (still sheathed) katana blindly at the noise. It hit an Asian man in a white uniform with a pitiful whump. The man stared at me for a moment.

"It works better without the sheath." He said blankly, with an accent that I could recognize as Asian and not Chineese. Japanese maybe? I slowly lowered the weapon, noticing his katana.

"Oh! Is this yours? I'm really sorry, I didn't know! I just woke up here and- wait is this your house? Did you kidnap me?" I went back to pointing the sheathed katana at him. Strangely enough, he didn't seem threatened.

"No, this house is abandoned. I was visiting with my friends. I apologize for scaring you." He said. Still eyeing him suspiciously, I lowered the katana again.

"If it's abandoned, why's it so clean?" I asked, gesturing to the spotless counter. "Is that what you and your friends do? Visit abandoned houses and clean? Because if that's true, you need to find yourselves a hobby. Unless cleaning houses _is_ your hobby and you're a maid service. Is that what the uniform's for?" I rambled. I sometimes do that when I'm nervous. The Asian man stared blankly at me again.

"No. We were just visiting. Though it is odd that a haunted house is this clean." He replied after a moment. There was an awkward silence. I laughed nervously.

"Right… I'll be quiet now. Let's go see your friends." Absently, I put the plate shard I was holding into my pocket. The Asian man turned around and started walking out one of the doors. I followed him out into a hallway. This one had another door on the right, before opening up into a larger room. It seemed vaguely familiar, but I pushed the thought out of my mind. The Asian man stopped, and I almost bumped into him.

"Did they leave?" He asked himself. "How regrettable." I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Where are they?" I asked, even though he had just said that they left. "Out front?" The man tried the front door. It looked locked.

"And they locked you in?" I asked. "Wow, bad time for a prank." The Asian man shook his head.

"No. My friends are probably still here. We should look for them." He seemed sure of this. I shrugged. He knows his friends better than I do.

"Ok. Should we look for them?" I asked. He nodded and turned around.

"Which way should we go?" He asked. I looked at the options. We could go up the stairs, down the hall next to the stairs, or down the hall to the left.

"Left." I decided, walking in that direction. The man nodded and followed. After a few moments in silence, I decided that I needed a better name for my companion than 'that Asian guy'. That made me sound racist.

"So… what's your name?" I asked. Said man was quiet for a moment. I almost thought he was ignoring me.

"Call me Japan." He decided. That made me pause for a moment. Japan? Had I stumbled across another Hetalia fan? Now that I thought of it, that _did_ look uncannily like APH Japan's uniform.

"Sure." I said, almost to myself. "Well, you can call me Emma. Emma Brune. Nice to meet you… Japan." It felt weird calling him that. Japan tried the only door in the hallway. Locked. We walked around the bend in the hall and froze. I opened up my mouth to scream (or just yell profanities) but Japan covered my mouth.

In front of us was a huge, grey, humanoid creature. It walked into the room at the end of the hall and slammed the door shut. A few moments later Japan removed his hand. I was trembling, and my mouth was half open in terror. He looked equally shocked, but quite a bit calmer.

"Wh-what…" I stuttered.

"I don't know." Japan replied. He started moving towards the door it had entered.

"Y-you saw th-that too?" I asked, still stuttering. "I-I'm not delusional?" Japan nodded and placed his hand on the doorknob.

"What are you doing! Do you have a death wish? You can't go in after it!" I panicked, rushing towards Japan. He twisted the doorknob. Locked. I stopped charging him. "Oh."

He walked towards the next doorway and checked it. It opened. I hid behind him.

"It's empty." he reassured me. I peeked around his arm to see that it was indeed an empty bathroom. Japan walked in, and I followed closely behind. He looked in the mirror above one of the sinks.

"It's dusty." He told me. "But the kitchen was clean." I nodded and looked in the cupboard. Also empty and dusty. We checked around the wall. Just an ordinary toilet.

"There's nothing else here." I decided, taking a last look around the bathroom. Japan headed for the door, but I grabbed his arm. "Wait! What if that thing is out there?"

Japan lightly shook me off, looking uncomfortable with the interaction. "We can't stay in here forever." He opened the door and I hid behind him. When nothing attacked us I came out from behind him, clutching my katana. He noticed.

"If you want I can put it on your waist." He offered. I nodded and he attached the sheath to my belt. "Try drawing it." I slowly drew it. It didn't look like anything special, just a regular katana blade. Japan nodded approvingly.

"It doesn't look like there's anything else this way." I said. "Let's go back." _And away from the Thing._ I added silently. Japan nodded, and we walked back to the main room.

"Which way this time?" He asked. I glanced at the last hallway and the stairs. I pointed to the hallway. Down this one was a door to a right and an opening in front of us that lead to another room. The door was locked, but the other room had curtains covering one walls, and armor and decorative swords on a few stands around the room. I went to the left to look at the sword stand while Japan stayed right to look at some armor. After a few moments he called me over.

"I found something." I came over.

"What?" He showed me a small red box. Inside was a note. It said "Fix the piano, repair the toilet, leave the aid kit in the drawer on the second floor."

"It looks like a checklist." I offered. There was nothing else in this room so we went back to the main room.

"We've only got the stairs left." I said. "Ready for the next floor?" Japan nodded and we walked up the stairs.

When we got to the top there was a hallway to either side and one behind us. Japan started going left. I followed. There were two doors in this hallway. Japan tried the one to the right. Inside was a bedroom. On the bed was a whip. I moved slightly closer to Japan, but he walked right up to the whip.

"Is this Germany-san's?" He asked himself, picking the whip up.

"Germany?" I asked. Japan nodded.

"He is one of my friends." He explained. I nodded slowly. Japan? Germany? And Germany has a whip? Maybe I did run into a bunch of cosplayers…

Japan left the room, and I followed. He tried the other door, but it was locked. He started heading down the hallway to our right. This hallway split into two more hallways.

"How big is this place?" I asked, looking at the stairs.

"I don't know, but it looked pretty big from the outside." Japan replied, heading right. This hall had only one locked door. We turned around and headed to the next hall. This one had two doors. The one on the left was locked, but the one on the right was open. In it was another bedroom. This one didn't have anything in it, so we went back to the stairs. We had one hallway left.

This one had only one door. Japan tried it and it opened into another bedroom. It seemed normal, except for the floor length curtain in the corner. We went to investigate.

"Oh!" Japan said, moving the curtain aside. "There's a door!" It opened and I jumped behind Japan. A blonde man with slicked back hair peeked out.

"G-Germany-san?" Japan asked incredulously. Germany didn't reply, he just shook. "Where are the others?" Japan tried again.

"M-maybe we should get him some water to calm him down?" I suggested, still hiding behind Japan. He nodded as Germany shut the door again. We left the room.

"Let's try the kitchen." I suggested. "There was a sink." Japan nodded again and we went downstairs to the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! To answer the question I got in the comments, the countries don't interact with people as much as they'd like. Later in the game, they think of official human names, so my theory is that they rarely use them. When chatting with random people they won't meet again, they say their country name and people assume that it's just a nickname. Their human name is something they use rarely, and they have a few.**

 **Again, I do not own Hetalia or HetaOni.**

Japan was getting a cup from one of the shelves while I tried the tap.

"It's no use, it's broken." I told him. "We have to get it from somewhere else." Japan came over with a mug.

"The bathroom also had a sink. Let's try there." He suggested. I agreed and we made our way to the bathroom. As we got closer I moved behind Japan, so that if the monster attacked he would be eaten first. Nothing attacked, and we went inside the bathroom. Japan walked to the sink and I looked around the wall to the toilet.

"Well… This _is_ water…" I said jokingly. Japan looked slightly queasy.

"Let's not be so hasty." He tried the sink. "Ah, thank God. It doesn't seem to be broken." He filled the mug with water. I looked at it. Something felt off about the water.

"Are you sure that's water?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I think so." He replied. I shook my head, but followed him back to Germany's room. He knocked on the door.

"Germany-san?" Germany peeked out and Japan offered the mug. "Here. It's not filtered water though…"

Germany drank it and stopped shaking. "Is that… really water?" He asked.

"Judging from it's color… probably…" Japan replied. Germany was silent for a moment.

"I see… Anyway, sorry for falling apart like that. I feel much better now." He replied. He didn't seem to notice me, but I didn't mind. He looked a little scary, and was much taller than me.

"So where are the others?" Japan asked.

"I don't know. We all ran in different directions, I think." Germany said. He took a calming breath. "Sorry, just… give me a moment to pull myself together." Japan nodded.

"All right. We'll go look for the other two. Try to get some rest." Germany started to retreat back into his closet, but paused.

"Oh, by the way, I found this when I was running. Maybe it can be of some use to you?" He offered a key. Japan took it.

"Arigato." Japan replied. Germany closed the door and I moved slightly closer to Japan.

"He must have met the Thing too." I muttered. Japan shrugged and looked at the key. It had "LF1" scratched on it.

"L… Floor one?" He mused. "Let's check the first floor." He headed downstairs and I followed. At the bottom he paused, looking like he was trying to decide which way to go.

"Let's head towards the kitchen." I offered. "There was a door that we didn't try." Japan nodded and walked over to that door. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked.

"Try the key." I told him. He did, and the door unlocked. Inside was a library. Japan locked the door behind us and we headed over to a messy table. I picked up a loose paper.

"Blank." I muttered quietly. "All of them are blank."

"Or they have these squiggles." Japan said, holding up another piece with black squiggles. "Oh!" Underneath the paper was a rice ball. "An onigiri!" He wrapped it in a piece of paper.

"Why is there a rice ball in a library?" I asked. Japan shrugged.

"Let's keep looking." We looked at the bookshelves. I pulled out a book, but it was filled with blank pages. What a waste of paper. Japan looked around the back of the bookshelf.

"Oh, I dropped the key." I bent down to pick it up. I heard the sound of a sword being drawn. I whirled around to see Japan facing the Thing.

"Get back and draw your katana." He ordered. I pressed myself against the wall and hastily drew my sword. Japan launched himself at it, slashing with his katana. The Thing raised his arm to block, and the katana made a shallow cut. Japan attacked again, but still made only shallow wounds.

"Run!" He yelled at me, blocking a swipe from the Thing's claws. I was frozen. "Go!" He yelled again, and I managed to make my feet move. I ran around the fight, sprinting for the door. As I passed Japan I felt something metal being forced into my hand. The sounds of the Thing and Japan fighting filled my ears. I stumbled across something in the middle of the room. It looked like a key, but I caught my balance and kept running. I slammed against the door and tried to open the handle. It was locked. I fumbled with the key Japan had forced into my hand and opened the door. I burst out of the room and slammed the door behind me. I stood there shaking for a moment before backing against the wall and sinking to the floor.

My eyes started tearing up. "O-oh God…" I muttered shakily. "I'm g-going to die." I dropped my katana and held myself. I stayed like this for a few moments, before the door slammed open. I flinched away, curling into a ball, as Japan closed the door. He leaned against it, holding it shut. Everything was silent for a moment. Japan stopped leaning against the door and looked around. He spotted me curled up on the ground. I could only imagine how I looked. Shaking, face covered in blonde hair, brown eyes red around the edges and filled with tears.

"A-are you alright?" He asked. I sat there for a moment, shaking.

"I want to go home." I muttered Japan didn't hear me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that." He apologised.

"I want to go home!" I said loudly. "I want to go home to my Mom, and eat whatever she makes for dinner, and obsess over fictional characters and play HetaO-" I cut off, eyes widening. "Oh. HetaOni. That's Steve, you- you're Japan! The real one!" This didn't comfort me at all. Instead of being in a random house somewhere, I was in another dimension or something. And my chances of going home were now almost nonexistent.

Instead of tearing up, I was now full fledged sobbing. Japan looked like he was having a minor panic attack.

"Was it something I said? I'm sorry if I have offended you!" He fretted. I didn't say anything, I just held my arms out for a hug. Japan hesitated for a moment, but complied.

Funny, I thought that when I sobbed into a man's arms I would be in a relationship, or at least very close friendship, with that man. I didn't know how long we stayed like this, but I eventually calmed down.

"T-there was a k-key." I told Japan. "I-in the room. I tripped on it." Japan pulled away and stood up.

"Stay here. I'm going to get it." He instructed. I nodded and scooted away from the door. Japan readied his sword and opened the door. He looked around in astonishment.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's… empty." Japan replied. "Even the blood is gone." Despite his instructions, I looked into the room with him. It looked just like it did before we came, except there was a key in the center. Japan walked over and picked it up.

"F4" I read. "Floor four?" Japan nodded.

"I think so." We headed to the fourth floor.

* * *

There were only two rooms on this floor. We skipped past the first one and went to the second, just to mix things up. The key we had gotten worked. Inside was a curtain, a table, a bookshelf, and a very fancy chair. I went straight to the chair and sat on it. It was really comfortable. Japan went to the bookcase.

"I think there's something behind this." He told me, inspecting it. I hopped off the chair and helped him move it. Behind was a big, white, squishy ball with a cowlick and glasses.

"Oh, a mochi." Japan said. "Are you stuck?" It was indeed stuck in the wall. It took me a moment, but I remembered where this mochi was from.

"Oh! It's the America mochi from the start of the game!" I realized. "What's it doing here?"

"Game?" Japan asked. I waved his question aside.

"Tell you later. We should try to get it out, the wall can't be that comfortable." I told him. Japan shrugged and tried to pull the mochi out. It didn't work.

"I can't get it out. Not like this." Japan replied, sitting back. I sighed and pat it's head.

"Maybe Germany can get it out of here. He seems pretty strong." I suggested. Japan nodded.

"We'll be back." I reassured the mochi. I walked towards the door. "Now let's go get Germany out of his closet!"

* * *

The closet now had an iron door. The curtain was gone too.

"Erm… maybe he doesn't want visitors?" I suggested. Japan knocked on the door.

"Germany-san? Do you have a minute?" He asked.

"Is that you, Japan? What's the matter?" Germany's voice asked through the door.

"There is a mochi stuck in the wall on the fourth floor. Could you get it out for me?" Japan asked.

"I see. I'll go and get it out, but can you do something for me first?" Germany replied. Japan nodded, even though Germany couldn't see him through the iron door.

"I seem to have dropped my whip. Could you get it for me? I want some sort of weapon in case the Thing shows up again." Germany requested.

"Actually, I found your whip a while ago." Japan said. "Here." He slid the whip under the door.

"Oh. Thank you." Germany said, but he didn't sound too thankful.

"Now let's go to the-" Japan started, but Germany interrupted.

"I'm really, really sorry Japan but I'm hungry too. Could you get me something to eat?" Germany asked.

"I have an onigiri…" Japan said. I sighed.

"Let's come back later Japan. He obviously needs more time." I told him.

"Japan? Is there someone else with you?" Germany asked, sounding worried.

"Hai." Japan replied. There was a moment of silence, then I realized that they were waiting for me to introduce myself.

"Oh! My name's Emma Brune." I introduced. "Let's go find some of your other friends." I told Japan. He nodded.

"We'll be back later Germany." He said as we started to leave the room.

"No, wait! Take this with you." Germany said. The door opened slightly and a bottle of beer was placed on the floor.

"But I'm underage." I said blankly. Japan picked up the beer.

"Ah, thank you. We'll be going now." He said. We left the room.

"Let's start from the bottom." I suggested. "Then work our way up again." Japan nodded and we headed downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! When I write I don't plan chapters or anything, so this chapter and the next are both parts of the same scene. I'll put a recap in the next chapter. Do you want me to do that for every chapter?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

Everything seemed the same until we got to the hallway with the bathroom. The door we had seen Steve go in before was ajar. I hid behind Japan.

"Do we have to go in?" I whimpered. Japan nodded.

"One of my friends might be in there." He walked inside, me hiding behind him. It was pitch black.

"Is there a switch?" I asked. It sounded like Japan was fumbling around for a moment.

"Here." The lights turned on to reveal Steve in all his terrifying glory. To my credit, I didn't scream. Instead I made a weird sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a whimper. Japan drew his katana, and I followed his lead. Steve rushed us.

Japan blocked his first strike with his katana. He then counter attacked, aiming for Steve's shoulder. He managed to get a hit, but Steve's skin was tough so he didn't do much damage. They continued to trade blows for a while, until Steve got close to hitting me. In a moment of panic, I pulled the plate shard out of my pocket and threw it at him. It bounced off of it's forehead, making a cut. Steve hesitated for a moment and Japan pressed his advantage. It looked like Japan was winning, but Steve turned off the lights.

I fumbled around the wall and turned the lights back on, but Steve was gone. Where he had been was a coin with 100 written on it. I pocketed it. We left and went to the bathroom. If I remembered the miscellaneous fan art correctly, there was something important about the toilet.

We went inside and I examined it. I found a slot to insert coins.

"Hey, Japan! Check this out!" I called, and Japan came over.

"What is it?" He asked. I got the coin out from my pocket and inserted it into the slot. The top of the toilet suddenly lit up, like a computer screen. On it was pictures of beer, onigiri, a red pepper, and a green vial labeled 'antidote'. Underneath each of them was a price. In the corner was a section showing the amount of money we had put in. We stared at the screen.

"This is…" Japan started.

"...the weirdest shit I have ever seen." I concluded. Japan reddened slightly.

"That wasn't how I was going to put it…" He murmured, but I ignored him and pressed on the 'beer' icon. It enlarged and 'x1' appeared next to it. I pressed the icon again. The icon grew smaller and the amount in the corner went from 100 to 65. A small bottle of beer floated up in the toilet bowl, enclosed in a sealed plastic bag. We stood there staring at it for a moment.

"That seems… unsanitary." Japan stated. I started to grab the beer but he stopped me. "What are you doing?"

"Getting the beer." I replied, grabbing it. "We might need it. Do you see any other food in this place?" Japan stayed silent for a moment.

"...Let's get onigiri as well." He decided. I nodded and bought all the onigiri I could. We carefully gathered them out of the toilet and dried them off with a towel we found. I glanced around.

"We need a bag or something to put these in." I said. Japan nodded.

"I agree. But where can we find one?" He asked. I glanced around.

"We have towels?" I suggested, but it sounded more like a question. Japan stood up and grabbed a few.

"Hai, but what can we do with them?" He asked. I thought for a moment, then a grin appeared on my face.

"Give me those." I said, grabbing the towels. I cut one into strips and tied the strips together to make one large strand. I used the strand as thread and 'sewed' some other towels together, making a drawstring bag. I used my katana to make holes for the 'thread'. Japan looked impressed.

"Good job, Emma-kun. Very impressive." He complimented. I grinned.

"I'm not done yet!" As a finishing touch I added a strap, so it could be easily worn. "Ta-da!" I showed off the finished product. Japan nodded and started filling it up.

"You might need to make more later." He stated. "If we somehow get more money." I nodded and looked back at the toilet.

"Speaking of money…" I checked our balance. "We still have some. Is there any way to get it out?" Japan and I examined it, but we couldn't find a way to get money back.

"Perhaps we should go and find the others?" Japan suggested. I sighed and nodded, slipping on the bag.

"Let's go."

* * *

After checking the doors on the first floor, we found a new room that opened on the second. Inside was a certain white haired Nation in a dark blue uniform, facing the wall between the two beds. On impulse I grabbed the key from Japan's hand and locked the door behind us. Japan walked up to Prussia, putting a hand on his shoulder. Prussia jumped and whipped around, sword out. Luckily, Japan was able to dodge. I made a small 'eep'.

"Who's there?" He demanded.

"Calm down! It's just me!" Japan replied. "And Emma-kun." I peeked out from behind Japan. Prussia lowered his sword.

"Oh, it's you? Who's the chick?" He asked, looking at me. I could feel my face getting red. Prussia was always my favorite character.

"I'm Emma…" I said quietly. "Nice to meet you." Japan seemed surprised at my personality change.

"Emma-kun? Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded quickly, trying to get myself together. This was not the time to fangirl over Prussia! Japan turned back to Prussia.

"And you, Prussia-san? Are you alright?" He asked.

"There was a monster! I saw it!" Prussia said, starting to get frazzled again. "A stark naked giant with the color of a rotten scone!" I laughed- it was not a giggle!- at the rotten scone bit. Prussia seemed to take that as a sign of disbelief.

"It's true! We all saw it! Me, and West, and Italy too!" He protested.

"We've met Steve too." I told him. Prussia looked mildly confused.

"Steve?" He asked.

"Please continue." Japan interrupted. Prussia went back into storytelling mode.

"Oh yeah! Before I knew it, I'd wound up here. The other two… I don't know where they went. Am I making any sense?" He finished. Japan nodded.

"Hai. Don't worry, we found Germany-san." He replied. Prussia nodded and took a steadying breath.

"What the hell is that Thing? And Why did you call it Steve?" He asked me.

"I-I don't know what it is…" I replied quietly. Damn that stutter! "And I call it Steve so that it doesn't seem as scary." That seemed like a pretty good lie. I didn't want to tell them that this was a game just yet.

"That makes sense." Prussia replied. He grinned mischievously. "Steve… it doesn't sound very awesome, does it?" I could feel myself get even redder.

"So, you've found my bruder? Where's Italy?" Prussia asked, seemingly oblivious to my blush.

"Germany-san is on the same floor but… we haven't found Italy-kun yet." Japan replied sadly.

"Do you think he was attacked by Steve?" Prussia asked. Japan hesitated.

"We can't be sure. However, Italy-kun's fast and very good at running away. I do believe that he managed to escape somehow." He replied. Prussia nodded and straightened.

"Then I'll help you find him. But first, can we see my bruder?" He asked. "What's he doing anyway?"

"He got pretty spooked by Steve, so he's composing himself." I told him. "But hopefully he'll be fine once he see's that you're fine." Prussia smirked.

"Of course he will! My awesome face will get him back to normal in no time!" He bragged. I laughed-not a giggle!- at his antics. He smirked at me.

"Let's go the-" He cut himself off.

"What's the matter?" Japan asked.

"Don't you hear the sound of something getting… closer?" Prussia asked. We all fell silent, allowing us to hear the sound of footsteps.

"Japan… did you lock the door?" Prussia asked quietly. Japan almost looked panicked, before I interrupted him.

"I did." I replied just as quietly. "B-but let's d-draw our weapons, just in case." Japan nodded and drew his katana. I did the same, and Prussia raised his sword.

The footsteps grew closer, then stopped. I backed up towards the wall, moving away from the door. At the time I didn't realize that I was also moving closer to Prussia. The doorknob jiggled and I jumped, my katana shaking. I unconsciously held my breath. The doorknob jiggled again for a few times, then stopped. We waited a few moments, but there were no more sounds.

"Is it gone?" Prussia asked.

"Yes, probably." Japan replied. I drew a shaky breath and they looked at me.

"You alright, Emma?" Prussia asked. I nodded.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." He obviously didn't believe me and patted my shoulder.

"Let's go to Germany-san." Japan suggested. Prussia looked at me and I nodded.

"I-I'll lead the way." I told them with a weak smile. Then I glanced at the door. "But… uh… can someone else open the door?" Japan nodded and I handed him the key. I allowed him and Prussia to get in front of me. Japan inserted the key and opened the door. Behind it was Steve, in all his rotten scone colored glory. It slashed at Japan, who blocked it.

"I thought Steve was gone!" Prussia yelled.

"So did I." Japan replied, counterattacking.

"It's scarier up close! I can't use my awesome techniques in such close quarters!" Prussia said, referring to them fighting in the doorway of the room.

My eyes followed the battle as I stood there, shaking. Japan managed to get in a lucky shot, forcing Steve to stumble back slightly. Prussia used this opportunity to jump in and force him into the hallway. Now that there was some space, both nations could fight Steve. Steve stumbled against the wall.

"Emma! Run!" Prussia yelled at me. This managed to get my feet moving and I ran out of the room. I heard another few whacks, then Japan yelled "Prussia! Come!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! As promised, I put a preview in this chapter. And feel free to let me know if I'm doing anything wrong, especially with the honorifics and the other languages.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _My eyes followed the battle as I stood there, shaking. Japan managed to get in a lucky shot, forcing Steve to stumble back slightly. Prussia used this opportunity to jump in and force him into the hallway. Now that there was some space, both nations could fight Steve. Steve stumbled against the wall._

 _"Emma! Run!" Prussia yelled at me. This managed to get my feet moving and I ran out of the room. I heard another few whacks, then Japan yelled "Prussia! Come!"_

* * *

There were two more pairs of footsteps behind me. I headed to Germany's room and threw open the door. Prussia and Japan followed me in and Prussia slammed the door shut, leaning on it. We waited, but Steve didn't attack us. Prussia sighed and got off the door.

"So where's West?" He asked. Japan walked over to Germany's door.

"This is where Germany-san is." He said, knocking on the door. Prussia eyed the door.

"Looks pretty solid." He said. "Hey, West! Come out, it's your awesome older bruder!"

"Prussia?" Germany called back. "Is that you? Are you alright?"

"Ja, I'm fine!" Prussia replied. "But Italy is still missing-"

"And we have to help a mochi!" I added.

"-So stop hiding in the closet and come help us!" Prussia continued. Germany was quiet for a moment.

"Alright. I'm done here, so we can go now." Germany exited his closet, closing it quickly behind him. I shrank back slightly. He was so tall! Germany walked over to me and held out his hand.

"Hallo, I'm Germany. I'm assuming you're Emma Brune?" He introduced. I nodded and shook his hand.

"Let's go!" Prussia said, going out the door. I followed him.

"The mochi's on the fourth floor." I told him. I heard Japan and Germany talking behind us.

"So, what're you doing here?" Prussia asked. I snuck a sideways glance at him.

"I don't know. Probably a prank." I told him. "I woke up here with a katana." Prussia stared at me.

"You're American, right?" He asked. I nodded. "We're in Japan."

If I hadn't figured out that I was in HetaOni, I would have freaked out. As it was I just sighed and nodded. This was just another reminder of how far from home I was.

Prussia noticed my hopelessness. "Hey, don't worry. As soon as we find Italy and get out of here, West can get you a plane back to America!" He said, trying to cheer me up. It did the opposite. If I got out of here I would still be in the Hetalia world. I would have no place to go, no family to return to. Tears welled in my eyes.

"Don't cry!" Prussia said, backpedaling. "I-"

I cut him off by hugging him, wiping the tears from my eyes. "It's fine." I said quietly. "We're here." I held open the door for the others. Prussia and Germany went to examine the mochi, but Japan looked at me.

"Emma-kun? Are you alright?" He asked. I forced a bright smile on my face.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" I replied before going over to Germany and Prussia. "Well?"

"It's stuck pretty deep. Can you get it out, West?" Prussia asked. Germany strained, trying to pull the mochi out. The mochi made distressed little squeaks.

Seeing that the Mochi wasn't coming out, Germany stopped pulling it and sat back. "Sorry, I can't do it with my bare hands. Maybe if I had some kind of tools…?"

"A tool?" Japan asked. "Well, it's a big house. I'll look around."

"Ja, it would be much easier with tools." Germany said. "Danke."

"Let's split up and look for it." Prussia suggested. Japan opened his mouth to agree when the house shook. I almost fell, but Japan caught me.

"Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded and stood up. He turned to the room. "I'll go ahead. If I find something of use, I'll come right back.

"I'll go too. I haven't seen much of the house." Prussia volunteered.

"I'll stay here and try to loosen up the mochi." Germany said. They all looked at me.

"Um…" I said. "I'll go too. I know the house." Prussia and Japan left the room, me right behind them. Prussia started walking to the stairs and Japan headed towards the other room. I followed Japan.

"Emma-kun? Why are you following me?" He asked. I laughed nervously.

"Well… I can't exactly fight. And if we both look at the room we'll get it done twice as fast, right?"" I told him. Japan looked confused.

"Why didn't you stay with Germany-san?" He asked.

"Um…" Because this is a game and I think that you're the main character? Because Germany is scary? "I wanted to explore." Japan didn't say anything, but he didn't protest to following me either.

The room had crates in the middle, with a lever in the corner. We immediately went to the lever. There was a plaque next to it that read 'Up is Heaven. Middle is Earth. Down is Hell.' on it. Japan frowned.

"Where do we move it?" He asked. I examined the lever. It looked fragile. I grabbed the handle and pulled it down. There was the sound of something shifting behind us. Japan turned around, drawing his katana, but Steve wasn't there. Instead, a bag had shifted, revealing a weak-looking portion of the floor. I turned back to the lever and tried to move it up, but it was stuck.

While I was fiddling with the lever, Japan had gone over to the weak floor. He stepped on it warily, and it held his weight. He jumped on it a few times. On the third jump the floor gave way and he fell. I immediately stopped trying to get the lever to work and rushed to the hole.

"Japan!" I yelled down. "Japan! Are you alright?"

Japan had fallen next to a white piano. "Hai, Emma-kun. I am not hurt." He replied, getting up and dusting himself off. He looked up at me. "However, I can't get back up."

I stared at the white piano. I had seen fan art of Japan dying next to that piano. "Is the door unlocked?"

Japan tried the door. It opened. "Hai. I seem to be on the third floor. You should come down." I hesitated for a moment. Walking through the mansion alone, with Steve running around?

"S-sure. Be right there!" I glanced around the room one last time. There was a piece of paper stuck to one of the crates. I grabbed it and put my hand on my katana. I took a deep breath before running out of the door and down the stairs. Japan was standing next to a door.

"Here, Emma-kun." He said. I ran over to him. He frowned, looking at me. "Are you hurt? Why were you running?" He asked.

"Steve could be anywhere." I replied. "Let's look around the piano room." japan nodded and started investigating the bookshelves. I found myself drawn to the piano. My fingers gently ran over the keys.

Back home, I had played piano. I was good at it, too. Sitting down, I started the first notes for a piece that I knew by heart, Marukaite Chikyuu. Once I had gotten into Hetalia I had made sure to learn it. Japan came over, hearing the music. He stayed quiet until I finished.

"I think I have heard that song before. What is it called?" He asked.

"Marukaite Chikyuu." I replied, looking at the multicolored numbers on the keys. Japan frowned.

"Draw a circle that's the earth?" He asked. I nodded absently.

"From an anime." I told him, finishing with my piano examination. "Find anything?" Japan shook his head.

"No, I didn't." He replied. I nodded.

"Let's go to the next room then." I told him. We went to the next door on this floor. It was a library. We walked down the rows a bit, then someone came out from behind a shelf. I jumped and hid behind Japan.

"Italy-kun?" He asked. I peeked out from behind him and saw Italy.

"Japan! You're okay!" Italy replied.

"Yes, somehow." Japan said. Italy noticed me. He looked extremely surprised, and perhaps scared?

"Who's this?" He asked, staring at me. Japan stepped to the side so that I couldn't hide behind him.

"This is Emma-kun." He introduced. I straightened and held out my hand.

"Emma Brune." I introduced. Italy looked almost afraid to touch me, but he shook my hand quickly.

"Nice to meet you, bella!" He replied.

"What happened?" Japan asked.

"Right after you left, a monster appeared from the hallway and came after us! Germany screamed… did you hear him?" Italy asked. Japan and I looked at each other.

"No… We did not hear anything." Japan said. Italy glanced at me on the 'we' but continued his story.

"Germany's scream surprised me and I was confused at the time so I tried to run away and leave you behind. I'm so sorry Japan!" Italy said. "But the front door wouldn't open so we split up while we were running away." He did look really sorry.

"Don't worry Italy-kun, no need to apologize. Anyone would have done the same in a situation like that." Japan replied. I smiled sadly.

"All I've been doing since coming here is running." I told him. Japan sighed, glancing around.

"What is going on in this house? The door and windows can't be opened. Our cell phones don't work…" He said, trailing off.

"And don't forget Steve!" I reminded him. Italy looked confused.

"Steve?" He asked.

"Oh! Sorry, that's what I call the monster." I told him. "Steve doesn't make him sound as scary." Italy looked shocked, but a laugh bubbled out of him.

"You named him Steve?" He asked, laughing. I couldn't help but laugh too. Japan smiled at our antics, looking at Italy.

"Italy-kun? Are you hurt?" He asked. Italy stopped laughing.

"Nope, I'm perfectly fine! Are you okay?" Italy replied. Japan shook his head, still looking at Italy.

"You are surprisingly calm about this, Italy-kun." He said. "You were even wandering around the house." Italy looked serious, gazing at the bookshelves.

"When the mon- Steve came, I was really scared and wanted to cling to Germany. But he and Prussia were falling apart too." Italy explained. He brightened a bit. "So I decided that someone had to keep calm, and I amazed myself! So then I began to look around for everyone so that we could get out as soon as possible!"

Japan nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. I was startled too, but after seeing Emma-kun so flustered, I felt oddly calm." I laughed sheepishly.

"At least I'm good for something!" I said, trying to sound positive.

"So what happened to Germany and Prussia?" Italy asked. "Have you found them yet?"

"We found them." Japan replied. "We're meeting on the fourth floor, I'll explain on the way."

"They were worried about you." I told Italy. "We should go see them ASAP, so that they know that you're alright!" Italy nodded.

"Okay! Let's go together! Oh, and I found some things while I was exploring, so I'll give them to you." He said, moving behind a shelf. He came out with beer, onigiri, and another gold coin. This coin had '150' written on it. I took off my bag and held it open so that Italy could put everything inside.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! I have decided to put in the summaries, due to the endings being a bit choppy. This chapter is a little short, but it seemed like a good place end.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Okay! Let's go together! Oh, and I found some things while I was exploring, so I'll give them to you." He said, moving behind a shelf. He came out with beer, onigiri, and another gold coin. This coin had '150' written on it. I took off my bag and held it open so that Italy could put everything inside._

* * *

We headed up to the fourth floor, Japan explaining what had happened. We went inside the mochi room to find Germany and Prussia facing off against Steve.

"Ahh! Japan, it's Steve!" Italy yelled. I put a hand on my katana, hating how it shook. Prussia glanced at us.

"You came back too soon! Japan, take Italy and Emma and run!" He told us. Germany also glanced at us.

"Italy! You're all right!" He said happily.

"Germany! I'm glad you're not hurt either!" Italy replied.

"Me and West can take care of this! Just go!" Prussia ordered. We didn't move.

"Japan!" Prussia tried again.

"I must be loosing my hearing in my old age. I didn't hear a word you said." Japan said cooly, drawing his katana.

"What? Italy, Emma, run!" Prussia said, sounding confused.

"Oh! Um… I suddenly got deaf too!" Italy said, holding a heavy-looking book.

"Italy-" Germany started, but I cut him off, drawing my katana.

"I'm not deaf, but I'm not running again." I told them. "The least I can do is cheer you on."

"It is my honorable duty to fight beside you." Japan said firmly. "Let's go, Italy."

They charged Steve. I held back, letting the four of them fight. Italy was whacking Steve with his book, Germany was using his whip to hinder Steve's movement, and Japan and Prussia were doing the most damage with their swords. I watched them in awe. It looked like they had been fighting together for years.

They have been. I reminded myself. They've been fighting together since WWII.

Even with them all fighting together, it took about five minutes to beat Steve. They all looked exhausted, and Steve simply disappeared into thin air.

"He's gone…" Japan said.

"Ve~ It really is a ghost!" Italy said. He didn't look quite as tired as the rest.

"Italy!" Germany said, rushing over to him.

"Are you hurt?" Japan asked Prussia, who looked mad.

"What the hell? You totally ignored me!" He yelled, looking first at Japan, then glaring at me. I squirmed under his gaze.

"I thought that the two of us could fight Steve alone… but the both of you really helped. Are you both alright?" Germany asked Italy and Japan.

"We're fine, Captain! I was worried about you too. You both ran away so fast, I didn't know what happened to you!" Italy said, practically glowing with happiness.

"I'm glad that everyone is alright. Now, where do we go from here?" Japan asked. Prussia looked away from glaring at me to answer Japan's question.

"Steve could show up here again, so we should move to a safer room. And we should all stay together, for safety." He said. Germany nodded.

"Good idea, burder. Let's search for a room that's as safe as possible, while sticking together." He ordered. Italy nodded, bouncing on his heels slightly.

"Yes sir!" He said. We first checked behind the long curtain in the room. There was a small alcove behind it. The alcove held a wooden box. We added it to my bag, which was getting heavy. Prussia noticed my discomfort.

"Want the awesome me to carry it?" He asked, grinning cockily. I nodded gratefully and gave the bag to him. There was nothing else in this room, so we headed to the next one on this floor.

The bag that had covered the hole in the floor was back where it was originally. I checked the lever.

"It's unstuck." I announced. Everyone stopped examining the room and came closer. I moved the lever to the middle.

"The Earth…" Japan mused. Something clinked to the ground behind us. We all turned and found a silver key. Germany picked it up.

"F2." He read.

"Floor two." I replied, turning back to the lever. "And the lever's stuck again."

"Let's go down to the second floor. Emma, Italy and I looked at the third before we fought Steve." Japan said. We headed downstairs.

"Let's start near Germany's room, and try all of the doors from there." I suggested. We walked over to Germany's room and went in. With all of us working together, we searched the room in no time.

"There's nothing here." Germany said, his eyes shifting towards the metal door. "Let's go." Prussia looked like he was about to protest, but Germany was already out. He shrugged and followed him. Next we went to the hall across from the one we were in. We started on the right, but there was nothing in there. The door on the left was locked, but we used the key to get in. Prussia sighed.

"Just another bedroom. Is that the only type of room on this floor?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. Let's search it, just to be safe." I told him. We started searching.

"I found something." Japan said, looking under the table. We all came over to him. "Oh, sorry. Just a matchbox."

"That could be useful." I said. "Who knows? Maybe we'll need to start a fire." We went back to searching. A few moments later, Italy found something as well.

"A first aid kit." Germany said, looking at the box. "If we are going to continue fighting Steve, this will be very useful. Good job, Italy." Italy beamed at the praise. I looked around.

"I think we've searched everywhere." I decided. "Let's go."

There was nothing special in the room we found Prussia in, but on an impulse I grabbed one of the blank books. Maybe I could start a diary?

"This room is so unawesome." Prussia complained. "Let's move on."

We again started on the door to the right. There was nothing in there, but I grabbed a few pens to write with. They seemed fairly modern for such an old house. Finally, we came to the last room on the floor.

"I hope there's something good in this one." Prussia muttered as he used the key to open it. This bedroom was different from the others. It had a fireplace, and a big table with chairs for everyone, and a pair of beds. This room looked more like a meeting place than a bedroom.

"Looks like we found our safe room!" I said cheerfully. Everyone made themselves at home. Germany and Prussia sat down at the table, Italy looked at the bookshelves, and Japan was wandering around, looking at everything. I got the key from Prussia and locked the door. After hearing the click, Prussia spoke up.

"We can't get too careless, but I think we're pretty safe in here. We have the key and the door is locked from the inside." He said. Japan nodded.

"It's only temporary, but it'll do for tonight." He agreed. I hadn't realized that I was tired until he said this. Italy seemed to feel this too.

"One night is good enough for me! I'm really tired from running around." He said, yawning slightly. Germany yawned as well.

"You're right. We ran a lot for one day. Makes me feel like having some beer…" He mused. Prussia dug around in his bag and pulled one out.

"Here you go, bruder." He said, handing the beer to Germany. I shivered, noticing how cold it was in here.

"It's cold as well…" I said quietly, but everyone heard me.

"I wonder if it's because of this house?" Italy said.

"I found some matches earlier. There's enough unused wood in the fireplace for one night." Japan said from next to the fireplace. "We should start a fire, to warm up." Everyone readily agreed. Germany offered to start the fire and Prussia handed him the matches. Once the fire started I moved close to it. The heat felt nice.

"I'm glad that we have light." Japan said, glancing around the room. "And now we're all together." Italy nodded.

"Yeah, it was really scary at first! And even though Germany was the first to run away, Steve chased after me!" He said. I winced slightly at his poor word choice, but thankfully no one noticed.

Prussia agreed with Italy. "I remember thinking 'No, not my precious little Italy!' and you all disappeared!" Germany looked uncomfortable.

"I hate supernatural things!" He defended. "And-"

"Never mind what happened before." I said sternly. "What matters now is that we're all together and alive." Japan nodded.

"Hai. Instead of thinking about the past, we should discuss what to do now." He said. Germany sighed.

"We can only conclude that the monster has made us prisoners here. Though having no way out bothers me." Germany said. I sighed and stared into the fire. That statement was truer for me than the others. At least they were in the right dimension, and not in some weird game. I heard Japan say something about new games coming out, but I wasn't really listening. Italy joined in with saying that he wanted pasta. I looked away from the fire to see Prussia looking at me. Once he noticed that I saw him, he turned away.

"You're talking about exits, but why can't we make our own?" He suggested. "Don't prisoners of war do that? It's time to put it into practice!" I smiled slightly. He thought that I didn't know their secret, that they had all been prisoners of war at some point. Japan smiled slightly and glanced at me.

"That seems like a good idea, Prussia-san." He said. Italy nodded.

"I'll make sure to help!" He said, glancing at Germany. Germany nodded.

"Ja, ja. We'll do it tomorrow." He said, pacifying everyone.

Japan yawned and glanced at the beds. "I don't know what time it is, but we should sleep." He suggested. I cleared my throat.

"Japan? I know you're tired, but you know how to wield a katana, right?" I asked. He nodded. "Could you teach me? Just the basics, so that I'm not completely useless…" He nodded again and came over.

"We should get ready for bed." Germany said. "It would be dangerous if all of us went to sleep at once. Who's going to be first watch?"

"I'll do it." Prussia volunteered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again, and Happy Halloween! Sorry this is so late, I've been sick. Not something I would recommend doing. Since I've been sick I've also had to make up all of the projects that I missed. One of my teachers said I had to turn in my project today, on Halloween! And I had barely any done!**

 **...Anyways, sorry about the rant. I really love Halloween, and I was upset because I had to spend it stressed out over a project. And because this is so late, I'll post another chapter to make up for it tomorrow. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"We should get ready for bed." Germany said. "It would be dangerous if all of us went to sleep at once. Who's going to be first watch?"_

 _"I'll do it." Prussia volunteered._

* * *

After that, things settled down. Japan taught me how to hold my katana, and how to block basic strikes. Germany and Italy fell asleep in one of the beds, leaving Japan and I another. We glanced at each other, then at the bed.

"I can sleep on the floor…" Japan suggested, but I waved him off.

"No, you take the bed. You've worked harder than I have today." I told him. He looked like he was going to protest again, but I cut him off.

"No. Go to sleep. If you're not at your best in the morning, you could make a mistake in battle and get killed." Before he could protest again, I found a nice patch of floor near the fireplace and curled up. After a few moments I heard Japan get into bed and relaxed. I noticed Prussia looking at me, slightly amused.

"What?" I mouthed at him. His grin just got bigger and he took off his jacket. He tossed it at me and I caught it.

"Present from the awesome me." He mouthed back. I shook my head, smiling, and used the jacket as a blanket. Pretty soon I found myself falling asleep.

* * *

Prussia glanced at the girl on the floor, amused. She had fallen asleep a while ago, and looked really small under his jacket. There was something off about her though. When he and the other Nations had covered up the fact that they were prisoners of war earlier, she had looked faintly amused, like she knew something. He would have to be sure to keep a close eye on her.

Prussia stretched, yawning. "It's so fun being alone." He lied. He glanced over at the others. "Those four are really sound asleep."

Prussia was quiet for a few more minutes, then resumed talking to himself. "I wish I had my computer. I could update my blog!" He said to himself. Grinning, he took out his phone. "But for now all I can do is take pictures of their sleeping faces!" Using his phone, he took several pictures of them before sitting back in his chair, bored.

"They all looked so serious before…" He mused. "They look much more peaceful sleeping."

Prussia was silent for a while longer, staring at his friends and anything else that caught his interest. He shivered.

"I'm kinda...cold. Is it because I gave my jacket to Emma?" He glanced at her, then the fire. "The fire looks strong… What the hell? I just felt a shiver down my spine."

Prussia glanced around the room, putting his hand on his sword. The doorknob rattled, and he jumped.

"I-I'm just hearing things…" He said to himself, not believing the lie. The doorknob rattled again.

"Why won't you wake up?" He asked, looking at the Nations on the bed. "Can't you hear anything?" His eyes settled on Japan.

"I'll just use Japan's strategy and pretend I'm not here." He said to himself. The doorknob rattled again and he sighed. "I can't do it. Guess I have no choice." Prussia walked from his chair to the door, taking the key out of his pocket. He glanced at Emma.

"Forgive me." His hand moved towards the door, then stopped.

"Shit! I'm not going to die yet!" He said to himself. "I am the awesome Prussia!" He put the key in the lock and turned it.

* * *

When we woke up, Prussia was gone.

I was the first to wake, shivering. I sat up and Prussia's coat fell off of me.

"So it wasn't a dream." I muttered to myself, even though I had given up on that a while ago. I yawned and made my way over to the boys.

"Wakey, wakey!" I said cheerfully. "Time to get up! Another big day of running for our lives ahead of us!" Japan yawned and sat up.

"Emma-kun?" He asked sleepily. My inner fangirl wanted to glomp him, but I restrained myself.

"Good morning, Japan!" I said. "Can you help me get the others up?" Japan nodded and started waking up the others. I glanced around the room.

"Where's Prussia?" I asked. This woke up the others.

"What? My bruder's missing?" Germany said. I could tell that he was freaking out. Italy patted his arm.

"Ve~ Don't worry, Germany! I'm sure he's fine!" He reassured.

"But what if Steve got him?" Germany worried.

"I'm sure he's fine, Germany-san. Your brother can take care of himself." Japan reassured him.

"He's definitely fine!" Italy said again. "I-I wouldn't let something like that-"

"Italy?" Germany cut off. Italy calmed down a bit. Japan stood up.

"He'll be fine. I'll go look for him." He glanced down at his clothes, which had dried blood on them from his earlier fights with Steve. "I should change first…" He mused, taking off his jacket. I blushed and turned away. Japan noticed.

"Oh, gomenasai Emma-kun. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable." He said. I blushed even more. I'm pretty sure I looked like a tomato, as Spain was so fond of saying.

"It's fine! I'm not going to look, just let me know when you're done!" I told him, grabbing my book and a pen. I heard the sounds of clothing rustling while I doodled.

"I'm done, Emma-kun." Japan said. I turned to find him in a brand new uniform, holding his bloody old one. He tossed his old uniform on the almost-dead fire. Germany cleared his throat.

"So Japan is going to look for Prussia. I want to go back to my closet. What are you two going to do?" He asked.

"I'll stay with you, Captain!" Italy said. I glanced at Japan, then turned to Germany.

"I'll go with you two. Japan will move faster without me hindering him." I told them. Germany nodded.

"Good. Did Prussia take the bag with him?" He asked. I looked around, and spotted something under the table.

"Nope!" I said, pulling it out. "I've got it here. And he gave me his jacket, which has all of the keys, so we're good." Slipping on Prussia's jacket, I glanced around and saw that Japan had already left.

"He's good." I muttered.

"Hey, look!" Italy spoke up. He was holding a key. "It's the second floor key! Prussia must have dropped it."

"That's good." Germany said, heading towards the door. "Let's go." We left the room silently, and made our way to Germany's room. Once inside Germany headed to the iron door and closed himself in. He stayed in there for a really long time. I doodled more in my journal, and even wrote a little about what I had experienced in the mansion. Italy just hummed quietly with a big smile on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again! Buried under homework. Send help. Also, Attack on Titan is pretty good from what I've seen so far. Gory, but good.  
**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"That's good." Germany said, heading towards the door. "Let's go." We left the room silently, and made our way to Germany's room. Once inside Germany headed to the iron door and closed himself in. He stayed in there for a really long time. I doodled more in my journal, and even wrote a little about what I had experienced in the mansion. Italy just hummed quietly with a big smile on his face._

* * *

After a while Japan came in. "I found them." He said. I frowned.

"Them?" I asked. Japan nodded.

"You'll see. Unfortunately I did not find Prussia-san. Germany-san, are you ready?" He asked. Germany came out of the closet.

"Ja, I'm good. Let's go." He said. Italy looked worried.

"Are you sure, Germany?" He asked. Germany nodded.

Japan lead us out and back to the fireplace room. Inside were Canada, Russia, China, and England. I frowned slightly. Did all of the allies come? If so, where were America and France? Japan cleared his throat.

"Sorry for making you wait. I'll explain now." He said. Russia looked at me and I shivered.

"Who is this?" He asked. Japan gave him a hard look.

"I'm explaining that now, Russia-san." He said again. Sitting down at the table, he started his explanation. "First, as you know, I received a message from China-san saying that his group had arrived here, and Italy wanted to come too. So Germany-san, Italy-kun, Prussia-san and I came. First I went to look around and I found Emma-kun, but Steve attacked Germany-san, Italy-kun, and Prussia-san."

"Steve?" England interrupted. I was writing everything down in my journal.

"That monster you faced before." Japan explained.

"Were you alright after that?" China asked Germany and Italy. Italy nodded.

"Si, somehow. It seemed to be targeting me, and I'm good at running away, so I got to escape. China looked surprised.

"You got away? That's amazing!" He said. Italy smiled at the praise and he and Germany started working on getting the fire going again. Japan continued his story.

"After I found Emma-kun, we started looking for the others. After we found them, we slept in here for the night. We had a sense of security because we had the key, and had locked the room from the inside."

"The night…" Russia mused.

"T-that really is odd. I mean, we- oh, sorry. Continue, Japan." Canada said quietly.

"We've run out of firewood." Italy said to Germany. "Can we burn this wooden box?" I glanced at him to find him holding the box we had found in the Mochi room.

"Ja, let's burn anything we can use as fuel." Germany replied. I made a side note of that in my journal. Japan continued.

"We decided that one of us should stay up as guard, and Prussia-san kindly volunteered. Unfortunately, perhaps because of our sense of security, the four of us fell into a deep sleep." He said. "When we woke up, Prussia-san was gone. There were bloodstains in the hallway, so I followed the trail, but… eventually…" I shuddered slightly. I hadn't noticed the bloodstains.

"The trail ended." Russia finished.

"So I started looking for him around the house." Japan confirmed.

"And then he found you guys, right?" Italy asked, finished with the fire.

"Hai. That's what happened." Japan said, nodding. "But where is France-san and America-san? Weren't they with you?"

"Yes, the six of us came here on America's suggestion and split into two groups." England said, starting an explanation of his own. "China, France and I went to check the second floor while Russia, America, and Canada looked around the first floor."

"We had a bad feeling while we were on the second floor, so Opium and I looked at the third and fourth floors." China cut in. "When we finished looking and came down to the second floor, France was gone and I found Japan's burt clothes in this room, and I wondered what happened." He looked at Japan as he said this. Japan looked away.

"We came back to the first floor and found Russia and Canada fighting that Thi-" England started.

"Steve." I cut in. England sighed in annoyance.

" _Steve._ That bastard disappeared first chance he got." He finished. Japan frowned slightly.

"Really? Um, I vaguely noticed it when I was fighting it, but Steve…" He trailed off, looking at me.

"Steve resembles a friend of America's, doesn't he?" Germany finished. Seeing Japan looking at me, I decided to keep up my appearance of not knowing their true identities. I wasn't quite ready to open that can of worms yet.

"Steve resembles a friend of America's?" I asked, trying to sound incredulous. "What, is he friends with an alien?" I had to stop myself from laughing at their faces.

"Si, he is!" Italy said. "What's his name again?" Germany thought.

"To… Tommy?" He asked. England nodded.

"Yes, that's definitely it. They look identical. Do you think this was America's doing?" England said. I sighed internally. America's alien friend's name was Tony, not Tommy. "He's the one who heard the rumor about this place and asked us to come here, after all."

Italy smiled brightly. "I see! So this is just a prank of America's that got too far! Well in that case, there's nothing else to say! Let's just look for America!" He said cheerfully. Japan looked like he was going to object, but Canada got there first.

"You're mistaken." He said, a little coldly.

"Hm?" England asked.

"That's not Tony." Canada said firmly.

"When we were talking about going to the first floor, Steve appeared, too." Russia explained. "But the moment I saw it, I realized that it was the friend America had introduced before." Japan nodded slowly, not understanding.

"H-hai. Are we mistaken? We concluded that it was America's friend already." He said. I sighed internally again. If Tony really was Steve, then why did he try to kill us? And why would he bring me into this?

"I live close to America and I've met Tony several times. I suppose that they do look alike. But Tony would never attack America." Canada spoke up. Yes, they do look alike. Except for the fact that Steve is five time's Tony's size.

"Attack- what, Steve attacked America?" China asked. Canada nodded.

"It was only one hit. America was thrown against the wall, but he was still conscious somehow and began shooting at Steve. It had no effect at all, though." He confirmed. "We thought Steve was America's friend at first, but when he attacked America and America fought back for real… We realized that we were probably wrong."

"So that's why we heard shooting!" England exclaimed.

"We had no idea what to do. He was getting cornered, but when we tried to help he yelled at us to get away." Russia continued.

"I think he wanted to handle him on his own. But he was too strong for even the three of us, so we decided to get away from him." Canada said. "Unfortunately, I lowered my guard for a moment and was knocked out. When I came to, both Steve and America were gone." He turned to Russia. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you…"

"You weren't a burden at all! It's pretty hard to fight when you're trying to protect someone~" Russia comforted him. "But if you really want to thank me, become one with mother Russia, da?" I shivered. So did Canada. After a moment of awkward silence, Russia continued.

"Anyway, we wanted to help him but we didn't know where he'd gone." Russia said. "We decided that we'd start looking in the kitchen, but Steve appeared and China and England joined us. In other words, there are three people missing. I think we should find them as soon as possible. America has nothing to do with it, so we can't feel safe." His face darkened. "Rather, we should expect the worst."

"Oh!" Italy said from the fireplace. We all looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Germany asked.

"There's something inside the box!" Italy said, pointing to the wooden box he burned earlier. He reached for it. "Just a second! Umm…"

"Careful." I warned him. "Don't get burnt." We were already facing Steve, there was no need for any of us to get injured unnecessarily.

"Uh-huh…" Italy said absently. He grabbed the key, pulled it out, the dropped it. "Got it- Oww, hot!" I sighed.

"You were warned." I told him. He ignored me.

"It's a key!" He said, holding it up.

"What does it say?" Germany asked. Italy frowned.

"It's just an H." He replied.

"We got a new breach!" China said excitedly. I looked at him. A new breach? Nations are weird.

"Finding a way out was our priority, but now we must focus on finding our friends. If we search thoroughly, I'm sure we will find them." Japan said. "Those three are also tenacious people. They've got to be somewhere." Russia looked surprised.

"Friends, huh? Sounds interesting. I was caught by surprise before, but the next time I meet Steve, he'll have a lot to answer for." He said, smiling creepily. England stood up.

"Let's hurry. I don't want anyone dropping out." He told us, glancing around the room. Japan looked thoughtful.

"Let's split into three groups, since we have so much to do. And no one should go alone." He glanced at me. I raised an eyebrow at him and he turned away.

"Si, there are too many rooms. There are rooms we can open with a key, rooms we can't open, and rooms we haven't looked at yet." Italy said. Japan nodded.

"Hai. Now about out unsynchronised watches…" He trailed off as someone rattled the doorknob. I jumped, putting my hand on my katana. "So it has found us after all. This room is no longer safe." Japan mused.

"Was it ever safe in the first place?" England asked. "Shit! What are we going to do?" Japan took charge.

"My group will deal with Steve. Italy-kun and Germany-san will look for the room that key opens." He ordered. Russia and China volunteered to fight with him.

"There's a room I want to investigate with Canada, so that's where we'll go. Italy, if you make any progress, come to the room with the piano." England said.

"Can I go with you?" I asked. England gave me a quick, calculating look.

"Very well." He decided.

"Okay!" Italy said, as the doorknob continued to rattle. "Be careful, everyone!" As he said that Steve broke the lock and came into the room. Japan turned to address us.

"Well then everyone… good luck." He said, turning in time to catch a blow on his katana. He looked pretty epic. "Go!"

I was still staring at Japan and Steve, but I felt someone grab my hand. I looked over and found Canada pulling me towards the exit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again! I'm already about halfway through what I have prewritten... I really need to write more.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _I was still staring at Japan and Steve, but I felt someone grab my hand. I looked over and found Canada pulling me towards the exit._

* * *

We made it to the piano room fairly quickly. England turned to us. "We'll examine this room before the others get here." He ordered. Canada nodded shyly.

"Alright. Um, first, this piano…" He looked over at the keys.

"It's perfectly tuned." I told them. "I played it earlier."

"But why are there numbers on the keys?" Canada asked. I shrugged.

"Was there something we needed numbers for?" England asked. I shook my head.

"No, I've been to a lot of the house but no numbers." I said.

"Hmm." England hummed, thinking. He wandered over to the shelves.

"Numbers… something that uses numbers…" Canada mused.

"It looks like a code, or a puzzle." I suggested.

"Numbers… puzzles...Security uses numbers. So, security breach… but this house isn't that high-tech...so a safe, or something." He finished. I smiled at him.

"That sounds good! You're a genius, Canada!" I told him, making him blush. England came over to us.

"The books in this room are all blank, so wait here while I go next door. There were a lot of books there, so I'll check those." He instructed. Canada nodded meekly.

"Oh, okay. Be careful!" He told England. England left. We went back to the piano. Canada was looking at the numbers on the keys, while I was looking at the inside.

"Your shoes are untied." He told me after a few minutes. I looked down to see that he was right.

"Oh! Thanks, Canada. It would be bad if I tripped while running." I thanked him. I kneeled down behind the piano when I heard the door open.

"Oh, is that you, England? I'm sorry, I haven't looked around yet." Canada said. I froze as I remembered fan art of Canada in a black and white dress, with the caption 'Be the piano!' across the top. I moved slightly so that I was hidden under the piano, just in case it wasn't England.

"We were told not to go alone, remember?" Canada continued. "I'm going with you this time…" His voice trailed off and I heard him murmur 'Steve' under his breath. He stood frozen. As I watched he grew paler and paler, until he was almost invisible. I heard him muttering.

"I am a piano. I am a piano. I am a piano. I am a piano." He chanted softly. The lights went out and I heard a soft thump. I stayed frozen, until I heard England's voice and the lights blinked on.

"Hey, Canada!" He said. "Wake up you bloody wanker! Are you hurt? Where's that girl, what's-her-name?" I peeked out from under the piano.

"Here!" I said softly. Canada was sitting up, with England over him.

"Whaz'happened?" Canada slurred.

"I-I think Steve came in. I hid under the piano and the lights went out. They came back on a few moments before you came in, England." I explained. England frowned.

"Did you see what happened to Canada?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No, but it sounded like he fainted." I told him as I crawled out from the piano and stood up. Canada copied me, ignoring England's protests. The door opened behind us and we all turned around, hands moving to our weapons. Japan, Russia and China entered the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I startled you." Japan apologized. We relaxed.

"No need to apologize, Japan." I told him. China looked around.

"Germany and Italy aren't here yet." He noticed. "I wonder what's taking them so long?"

"They had a much more time-consuming job." England reminded him. Canada nodded.

"This house is really big." He agreed. I looked over the three that had just come in.

"How did your fight go? Are you hurt?" I asked. Japan shook his head.

"Nothing serious, Emma-kun." He reassured me. I frowned.

"Nothing serious?" I probed. "That makes it sound like you were hurt." Japan's hand moved to his arm unconsciously. Noticing the movement, I walked over and grabbed his arm, pulling up the sleeve. Japan shifted slightly, disliking the contact, but I held on as I looked at the decently sized cut. Sighing, I pulled the first aid kit we got earlier out from the bag on my back. Japan started to move away again but I gave him a stern look.

"Let me bandage that." I ordered. I grabbed the bandages out from the first aid kit and started bandaging his arm. Despite not being a medical professional I had taken several first aid courses, so I knew the basics. Thankfully, Japan stood still while I was tending to his arm, so it wasn't too hard.

I finished and stepped back to admire my work. Japan quickly pulled his sleeve down, mostly covering the wound.

"Ah… Arigato, Emma-kun." He thanked me. I smiled at him.

"Anytime!" I replied. We all stood in an awkward silence. I moved over to the piano and sat down. Canada came over.

"Do you play?" He asked. I nodded. "Can you play something?" I thought for a moment. What should I play? My fingers trailed over the keys as tried to come up with a song. After a few moments I decided. I started playing the first notes to Bad Apple from Touhou. The others came over and watched as I played. Japan even started humming once I got to the lyrics. It was a surprisingly sad song for such an upbeat tune. I finished with a sad smile on my face.

"Ve~ That was really pretty, bella!" Italy said from near the doorway. We didn't notice him and Germany come in while I was playing. I blushed at his compliment, but accepted it. That song took me forever to learn.

"That was an… interesting song choice." Japan said. I shrugged.

"It felt appropriate." I replied. Italy looked at us, confused.

"What do you mean? What song was that?" He asked innocently. I glanced at Japan.

"Ask him for the lyrics." I told Italy. "He probably knows them better than I do. The song's called Bad Apple." England cleared his throat.

"Thank you for the demonstration, but we should move on. Germany, Italy, what happened? Did you find what the key opened?" He asked. Italy nodded and launched into an explanation of what happened. Apparently the key opened two doors, the one in the kitchen and the one next to the big room on the first floor. They had found a safe in the kitchen room first, then gone to the other room. Steve had found them inside, but they had gotten away. When they returned to the room, they had found a piece of paper like the one I had found earlier and gotten a phone call. The caller didn't say anything, they just played one note on the piano. England explained next, with Canada and I filling in what he didn't know.

Finally, Japan explained what had happened after his groups fight. Russia had broken a clock and gotten another piano not call. By breaking the clock he had fixed time in that room.

"-and by breaking the clocks, we adjust time, so it is imperative that we do this." Japan finished. Canada cleared his throat slightly.

"Italy, you said you found a safe?" He asked. Italy nodded. Canada glanced at the piano. "Maybe the numbers on the keyboard are some kind of hint?" He suggested. Russia nodded.

"Da, then we can open the safe and make some sort of progress. First, we should look at that scrap of paper Italy found." He told us. Italy held out his paper, and I dug mine out of my pocket. England looked at them.

"They're a perfect match! Try putting them together." He suggested. We did as he said, but England's phone rang.

"Ah, sorry. It's my new cell phone." He apologized.

"Again?" China asked.

"Is it another piano?" Italy asked.

"We don't know until he answers it." I said. "Put it on speakerphone." He did, and there was the sound of one note before the call disconnected.

"So it was another piano." Japan mused. "But it was a different note than the one we heard. italy, did you also hear a different note?" Italy nodded.

"Si, it was different." He said.

"One piano note. That's the only similarity between these calls. But there is no doubt that they're a big hint. We should solve this one by one." England said. At this point I took out my journal and started recording everything that had happened.

"Hai. If we do, we'll be able to get to America and France. But they'll probably be mad at us for taking so long." Japan agreed. I paused at that sentence. Italy noticed too.

"Eh? What?" He asked. England frowned at him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked Italy.

"Did I say something wrong?" Japan asked. My hand moved to Prussia's jacket. I was still wearing it.

"Yes, you did. What about Prussia?" I asked.

"Si, why did you say France and America, Japan?" Italy continued. "Don't we have to save France and Prussia?" I froze at this. We were missing France, America, and Prussia. Why was Italy saying otherwise?

"What?" Canada asked, sounding mad.

"C-come now, what's wrong with you?" England said nervously. "We're here to save America, aren't we? Neither France nor Prussia came." I backed up slightly, holding Prussia's jacket tighter around me. What was happening? I sat down on the piano bench and resumed recording.

"Only… America?" Japan asked, sounding confused. "No, wait a minute. We- Well, America said that he wanted to come at the meeting place. And I said that I'd come with him… So I came here with America." No! That was wrong! He came here with Germany, Italy, and Prussia! The axis came later!

"Wait- Japan, what's wrong with you? The three of us came here with Prussia, remember?" Italy corrected. I sighed. At least Italy knew what had happened! But I was proven wrong at his next words. "America didn't come, and France got separated from Russia and the others."

"You guys…" China started. I glanced at him hopefully. Did he know what had happened?

"Wait! Wasn't America the one who disappeared? Why do you keep bringing the other two up?" England asked angrily.

"What on Earth is going on…" Japan asked himself. I made an accidental mark in my Journal. Wait… My Journal. An idea came to me.

"Guys!" I yelled. Everyone looked at me and I held up my journal. "I'm wearing Prussia's jacket and he's not here with us, so he's missing, right?" I asked. Everyone nodded. "And in here, I have Prussia, America, and France written down as missing." I continued. Several people looked confused, but I pressed on.

"In here it says that Japan, Italy, Germany and Prussia all came here together after England, France, Russia, China, and America came. Japan sent a text to China before China's group went in, then Japan's group came. However, due to timey-wimey stuff, Japan's group arrived here before China's group. Prussia disappeared from our group while he was on guard duty and America and France got separated from China's group." I finished. Everyone was staring at me in shock.

"But why do we have different memories?" Japan finally asked. I slumped slightly.

"I… I don't know. But I'm sure that my version is what happened. I've got evidence to back me up." I gestured to Prussia's jacket and my notebook.

"Japan, do you remember fighting with me and Russia?" China asked. Japan frowned.

"I am not that forgetful yet, you know." He replied. Russia laughed creepily.

"You two are so old~" He said. Germany cleared his throat.

"Maybe correcting time caused some kind of disturbance?" He suggested. I nodded.

"That's a pretty good theory, but we can't be sure." I told him. Japan frowned and glanced around the room. He headed to a shelf in the corner.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again! Sorry this is late, my computer decided to stop working on me. But it's better now, so here you go! Also, I've been working on an Attack on Titan/Shingeki No Kyojin fic for NaNoWriMo. It's also an OC fic... I do way to many of those.  
**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _Japan frowned and glanced around the room. He headed to a shelf in the corner._

* * *

"Following the pattern, it should be here…" He murmured, inspecting the shelf. He picked up a clock. "Ah, I knew it would be here. I should break it, it's still worrying me." He put the clock on the floor and unsheathed his sword, using it to stab the clock. The glass shattered and the ticking stopped.

"There. One more." He said happily. Everyone had turned to him at the smashing sound. My eyes widened as he swayed. I lept from my seat and rushed over, steadying him before he collapsed.

"Japan! Are you alright?" I asked him, but he didn't reply. His eyes were glazed over, and I could tell that he wasn't seeing me. I carefully moved him so that he was sitting against the wall and looked at the others. They all seemed fine, and were staring at me and Japan. After a few moments, Japan blinked and looked at me.

"Emma-kun?" He asked. I nodded.

"Are you alright, Japan?" I asked him. He nodded.

"H-Hai. Gomenasai, I need a moment." He replied. I turned to the others, who had moved on to the piano puzzle before I had interrupted with Japan.

"Japan? Are you hurt?" China asked, sounding concerned. Japan nodded and stood up.

"Please continue." He told them. Germany nodded and looked at the group.

"That's why I'm saying that this piece of paper might be a hint to some kind of hidden passage!" He told them. I frowned.

"Those rectangles on the paper… could they be piano keys?" I asked. "I mean, we also got calls that played piano notes…" China frowned.

"But then one person's phone should ring one more time." He told me.

"How can our phones even get calls? And we don't know who is calling us. Should we blindly trust the hints they give us?" England asked, sounding frustrated. Germany and Italy started talking amongst themselves.

"What else can we tru-" I started, but I was interrupted by Germany's cell phone.

"There it is." Canada said. "Germany, if you please." Germany took out his cell phone, looking a little spooked.

"J-ja. I'll put it on speakerphone." He said. A single note played.

"Another piano." Japan said.

"Da! No let's put the notes together." Russia said, sounding excited. Being the best pianist, I was given the task of putting the notes together. I collected them all and moved to the piano. I pointed to four keys that had the numbers 4, 2, 6, and 9 on them.

"These were the notes played." I said.

"So it's 4269?" England asked. Canada shook his head.

"No. You're forgetting something." He grabbed the two pieces of paper from Italy. When put together, the boxes were yellow, red, green and blue. Just like the colors of the numbers on the keys. "If we match the colors of the numbers with the colors of the boxes on this paper, we get 5294. See? Perfect match." Canada explained. I nodded.

"So the combination for the safe is 5294?" I asked. Canada smiled and nodded shyly.

"When you put it that way, it's rather simple." Germany admitted. "Well, then, let's head to that safe!" He lead us out of the room. Italy hung back for a moment, but he quickly rejoined us.

"Italy-san, Germany-san, Emma-kun, and I will go to the safe. you should break the clocks." Japan told us. We nodded and split up.

My group made our way downstairs to the safe in the room next to the kitchen. Japan put the numbers into the safe and it clicked open, revealing a key. Japan grabbed it.

"It has 'Study' written on it." He said. I frowned.

"Study?" I asked. "Where would that be?"

"There was a locked door in the other room the key unlocked." Germany suggested. "Perhaps that's the study?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try it." I replied. "Lead the way." Germany did, and we ended up next to the locked door. Japan tried the key.

"It worked." He announced, and he opened the door.

The room wasn't much to look at. There was a bookshelf, and a table in the corner. Japan frowned.

"I thought that there would be more." He admitted.

"Let's search anyway." I told him. "We could be missing something." He nodded and we spread out. Almost immediately Italy found a lever, which moved aside the bookcase to reveal a door. The Study key opened this door as well. The door lead to what looked like a jail cell. I shuddered, imagining myself stuck behind those bars with Steve looking in.

"Can you lock the door?" I asked Japan quietly. He gave me a weird look, but did as I asked. The door clicked shut.

"There's a key inside the cell." Germany told us. The cell door opened easily, and we all went in to pick up the key.

"It has a B on it." Japan read out. "Perhaps a basement?" I shuddered. Anyone who has watched a horror movie knows not to go in the basement. That's where everyone dies a painful death.

"Let's go and find it then!" Italy said cheerfully. I put my hand on my katana.

"Y-yeah." I replied. Japan looked at me, concerned.

"Are you alright, Emma-kun?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, fine. Let's go to the basement, the place where all of the people die in horror movies." I replied. Italy smiled at me.

"Don't worry Emma! Germany and Japan are really strong, they can protect you!" He told me. I smiled back.

"Thanks, Italy." I replied. I still wasn't fully convinced that we all weren't about to die horrible deaths, but I did feel a little better.

"I saw a locked door on this floor that looked like it would lead to a basement." Germany said. "Let's go." He lead the way again, and opened the door. Once we were all out, Steve appeared.

"Run!" I yelled, and we did. We somehow ended up in the bathroom. Japan headed over to the toilet, getting a coin out of his pocket and inserting it. The others watched in morbid fascination as we refilled our bag. Italy spotted another clock and broke it, and he had a strange expression on his face before blinking and going back to normal. After that was done I slung the bag back on my shoulder. Why did it have to be so heavy?

"Germany-san, where's the door you were talking about?" Japan asked calmly. Germany kept a stoic face and lead us down the hall to the door.

"Here." He said. Japan nodded.

"Good. We should head back to the cell room and meet up with the others. They should have found it by now." He said. We made our way back to the room. China looked up as we entered.

"Oh, you're back. Are you okay?" China asked. "We thought we saw Steve." Japan nodded.

"Hai, we are fine." He replied. "Steve chased us but we got away."

"We broke most of the clocks." Canada told us. Japan nodded in acknowledgement.

"The key we found leads to the basement." He said to everyone. "We should go." There was general agreement, but Russia spoke up.

"There's another clock in this room, and we need to figure out this memory problem, da?" He said.

"But I have a journal!" I protested, holding up said journal. Russia shrugged.

"We still should hear what other versions there are." He replied, smiling. Germany sighed.

"Each one of you has three minutes. If you have anything to say, raise your hand." He ordered. England tentatively raised his hand.

"Er, can I go first then?" He volunteered. "I don't think it's just me, but didn't you notice anything when we broke the clocks?" Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"You noticed it too?" China finally asked. "Then it wasn't just my imagination."

"You mean we all get false memories when we break a clock?" Russia said in surprise. I blinked. The memories were from the clocks?

"R-really?" Germany asked. China nodded.

"When we broke the clock in the piano room I got memories of coming here with Japan and the others." He expanded. "But…"

"Da. Our memories are all tangled." Russia agreed. "Let's start with who we came with."

"I told you-" I started, but Russia smiled creepily at me and adjusted his pipe.

"Be quiet little Emma, we're talking." He told me. I shivered and hid behind Japan.

"We all started in a world meeting, even the ones that are missing now." England began. Japan nodded.

"Hai. There is no confusion about this part. America-san heard a rumor about this mansion and said he wanted to see what it was like." He said.

"The meeting had ended and we had nothing better to do, so I came with America, China, France, and England…" Canada continued. I had my journal out and was fact checking.

"That seems good so far." I agreed, making a note about the world meeting and America hearing a rumor bit.

"We also invited Japan, but he didn't come. That's why I sent him a message right before I went into the mansion." China added. I nodded and made a note of it.

"When he saw that message, Italy said he wanted to go too. So the three of us headed here, along with mein bruder." Germany continued. I made another few small notes.

"But I also have other memories." England interrupted. I sighed mentally. "I remember coming here with America and Japan, and China got separated from us."

"But China's here, and Japan isn't!" I protested. Italy raised his hand.

"Maybe we're getting confused because there's so many memories? We don't know which one is right… so we make the wrong conclusions." Italy suggested.

"Ah, that's an idea! When false memories get mixed in to hide the truth, we get confused and don't know what's what. And once you suspect something, everything else becomes suspicious." Russia said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again. We have reached ten chapters! Double digits! A quick thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed. On another note, I separated what I have written into chapters. I currently have enough chapters to last me five weeks, with two updates per week. Anyways, a lot happens in this chapter! Have fun!  
**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Ah, that's an idea! When false memories get mixed in to hide the truth, we get confused and don't know what's what. And once you suspect something, everything else becomes suspicious." Russia said._

* * *

England frowned.

"Has anyone seen Emma in these memories?" He suddenly asked. It was quiet for a moment as everyone started to remember, but everyone shook their heads 'no'.

"In every memory I have, Emma doesn't appear. Except for a few…" Japan started.

"...Which I'm guessing are the real ones." I continued. "And I don't have any…" I trailed off.

"Any what?" Canada prompted. I blushed slightly.

"Any false memories. I remember everything just as it is." I told them. They stared at me in shock.

"So you don't get false memories? Why?" China asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. All I remember was becoming unconscious while playing HetaO… A video game, and appearing in the kitchen." I told them. This was getting dangerously close to my secret. It was quiet for a moment.

"Emma-kun, you said something earlier about a mochi at the start of a game." Japan said slowly, staring at me. "What did you mean by that?" I looked away from his gaze.

"N-nothing!" I said quickly, stuttering. My cheeks grew red. That was an obvious lie. A four year old could see that, so immortal countries certainly could. Russia advanced.

"I do not think that little Emma is telling the truth." He said. I tried to hide behind Japan but he moved away.

"J-Japan?" I asked, hurt.

"What did you mean?" Japan said again, staring at me intensely. "What are you hiding, Emma-kun?" I could feel my eyes welling up as I backed up against the door.

"I…" They all suddenly looked cold. Perhaps it was the mansion, but I became paranoid. These weren't the lovable characters I had known. These were immortal countries, cold and unfeeling. "I know…"

"Know what?" China demanded, sounding harsh. I glanced at Italy, happy and cheerful Italy. He looked away. So did Canada when I looked at him.

"I know… what you are." I said, the last part coming out as a whisper. There was a collective intake of breath. I could feel them staring at me, and the words tumbled out.

"I know that you're countries. National anthropomorphic personifications. You were a show, and anime. You were my favorite anime, I even had a t-shirt. You were really popular, too! There was tons of fan art, and fanfiction and fan made games. I was playing the most popular fan game, HetaOni. It had been discontinued, but it still had a pretty large fanbase. There was even fan art of it! Fan art of a fan game, how ironic. I saw some of the fan art. It had a lot of blood, and I heard that it was really sad, but one of the fan arts was funny! It had Canada in a black and white dress, pretending to be a piano…" I rambled, trailing off at their faces. They were mixtures of shock, anger, fear, disbelief…

"You knew?!" England demanded. He stormed towards me, and I pressed myself smaller against the door. "You knew what was going to happen? Why didn't you tell us!"

"I-I didn't k-know…" I protested weakly. England didn't take notice.

"So this is all a game to you?" He continued. "A twisted game? Are YOU the one controlling Steve?"

"N-No! I'm not! I don't know h-how I got here!" I protested, a bit louder this time. I looked around for support, but I didn't receive any. My hand found the doorknob and I twisted it open, falling out of the room. I ran, not looking behind me, tears welling in my eyes. I heard someone shout behind me, but I didn't hear any footsteps. I was alone.

* * *

Japan watched as Emma ran.

"Emma!" Italy yelled, but Germany placed a hand on his arm.

"Let her go." He said harshly. "We don't know if she's an enemy." Japan felt slightly guilty as well. He had been the one to find her after all, and was probably the only one here she was really close too. His rational mind was telling him to go after her, but he felt betrayed.

"We need to cool down." Canada suggested. "How about we break the clock in this room?" He was looking at England, who was the most hot-tempered. England took a breath and nodded. They moved over to the shelf, where a single clock was perched. Germany slammed his whip handle into the face, breaking the glass, and Japan fell into another memory.

* * *

" _Prussia-san!" Japan said, finding Prussia in a room._

"This is a memory from when I first reunited with Prussia, but… Emma-kun isn't here." Japan thought.

" _Huh? Who's there?" Prussia asked, whipping around with his sword out. Luckily, Japan was able to dodge._

" _Whoa! C-Calm down, it's just me!" Japan said, holding his hands up. Prussia lowered his sword._

" _Oh, it's you Japan? Ah… Sorry." Prussia apologized._

"Where is she? What happened to her?" Japan mentally asked.

 _The conversation advanced, but Prussia suddenly fell silent._

" _What's the matter?" Japan asked. Prussia looked worried._

" _Don't you hear the sound of… something...getting closer?" Prussia asked quietly. The door slammed open and Steve entered the room. Japan gasped._

" _That's-"_

"It came in?" Japan wondered. "Oh, yes. Emma-kun wasn't there to lock the door… So Steve could get in."

 _Steve advanced on the two Nations, rearing his hand back for a strike._

" _Watch out!" Prussia yelled, jumping in front of Japan and taking the blow._

"Oh!" Japan gasped.

" _Prussia-san!" Japan said, alarmed._

" _Son of a-" Prusia started, slashing at Steve. Surprisingly, Steve disappeared after only a few blows. Prussia clutched his chest, which was bleeding profusely from the scratches he had received._

" _...Ow...This is bad…" He said weakly. Prussia swayed, then started to fall. Japan caught him and lay him down on the ground._

" _Prussia-san!" Japan panicked. "H-Hold on! I'll stop the bleeding with some sheets!" Prussia chuckled weakly._

" _No, it's okay… I'm a Nation… I won't… die…" He coughed, and Japan was alarmed to see a trickle of blood forming at the corner of Prussia's mouth. "Ah… but, I'm not… a Nation any more, am I? I told you that…" Japan was still panicking._

" _S-Stop it! I'll call Germany-san! This isn't the time for jokes!" He said, sounding frightened._

" _Are… West and… Ita… all right?" Prussia asked, sounding weaker. Japan paused for a moment._

" _Hai. Both have already left the mansion. We'll go home, too. Germany and Italy are waiting for us." He lied. Prussia laughed._

" _Yeah!... We'll all go to your house… and go to… the hot springs…" Prussia said, growing weaker._

"Because Emma-kun wasn't there, and she didn't lock the door…" Japan thought to himself. "But Emma-kun was there. She did lock the door!... And Prussia-san is alive… This memory… It must be fake. I know which one was true. Emma-kun was here, and Prussia-san didn't die in a place like this."

 _The memory faded away and changed, showing a stone room with Germany, Prussia, Italy, and Japan._

"What's this room?" Japan asked, surprised.

" _Damn it! Even though the four of us got together, the situation hasn't gotten any better!" Germany growled. "We're still locked up in here and that fucking monster is still after our asses!"_

"That wasn't supposed to have happened yet. What on Earth…?" Japan wondered. "And where are the others?"

" _West, don't be so pessimistic. Someone will eventually notice that some Nations are gone, even if it's only a few, and they'll come to help…" Prussia said, trying to sound hopeful._

" _We- We're being eaten one by one… That's what I would do, if I was the Thing!" Germany panicked._

" _That's enough, West! There are still many ways to get out of here!" Prussia scolded. Germany calmed down a bit._

" _...Sorry." He apologized. "I can't… think like that, but… I feel as though I'm in a battlefield. Though, if it were one, I could keep myself together and protect you… I want to change this." The last part was said with newfound determination._

" _You can't help it. you hate this kind of thing." Japan protested. Italy looked worried._

" _...Germany." He said quietly._

" _Hm?" Germany asked. Italy looked him straight in the eye._

" _It's okay; You will be okay." He said, sounding confident. "You'll be able to get out this time. And if you get out, run straight ahead. Don't look back, no matter what happens, and get time-"_

"Time?" Japan wondered. "What is Italy talking about?"

 _The door slammed open, and Steve barged in, right behind Italy._

" _Italy-kun!" Japan yelled. Italy smiled sadly, not looking at Steve._

" _Italy!" Prussia also yelled, his hand going to his sword. Italy looked at Germany, that sad smile still on his face._

" _Promise me, Germany." He said calmly._

"Italy-kun is going to…" Japan thought.

" _Italyyyyy!" Germany yelled, running forwards with a hand outstretched. Steve raised a clawed hand…_

 _The vision faded into black._


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again! So, the Nations now know that Emma knows what they know about their identities~ I had to do a little research for this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

" _Italyyyyy!" Germany yelled, running forwards with a hand outstretched. Steve raised a clawed hand…_

 _The vision faded into black._

* * *

Japan was laying on the floor.

"Japan! Japan, are you okay?" Italy asked, kneeling over Japan.

"Italy-kun!" Japan panicked. His head still felt fuzzy. Japan gripped Italy's arm tightly.

"Ow! What's the matter?" Italy asked, struggling slightly against Japan.

"Japan! Remember what we said about the clocks?" Canada asked. Japan's grip on Italy loosened.

"Oh… Hai, I remember." He said. He stood up. "I'm sorry."

"You get a lot more memories than the rest of us, and they are much more intense." China noticed. Japan grimaced slightly, remembering the two deaths. England noticed.

"Are you alright? Do you need to rest?" England asked, concerned. Japan shook his head.

"No, I'm fine. I was just confused." He glanced around. "You all seem to be… fine." Germany looked at his boots.

"Nothing happened to me. To tell the truth, I haven't gotten any memories so far." He admitted. Everyone stared at him. "Maybe I've been exempted?" He offered.

"Just like Emma-kun." Japan said softly. He glanced at England. "We should apologize." England ignored him.

"When we wake up it's like a dream. We have trouble separating dream from reality, but as soon as we… calm down… our good judgement comes back." He said, reddening slightly as he realized that his statement could also be applied to Emma. He sighed. "Let's apologize." Everyone started moving out of the room, but Japan held Italy back.

"Si? What is it, Japan?" Italy asked. Japan looked over Italy.

"Italy-kun? Are you… hurt somewhere?" He asked. Italy froze for a moment, then smiled.

"No, I'm not hurt at all!" He reassured his friend. Japan nodded.

"I see. I'm sorry for asking such a strange question." He apologized. "Let's go find Emma-kun." They walked out the door, to where the others were waiting.

"Are you alright, Japan?" Germany asked. Japan nodded.

"Hai. Now where should we look fir-" He started, but he was cut off by a scream from upstairs.

* * *

I didn't know where I was going, but I somehow ended up in the piano room. Once there I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. I knew that I shouldn't have run. I should have stayed and tried to defend myself.

But I was a coward.

I couldn't fight, I couldn't defend myself. Even my supposed 'future knowledge' had nothing useful. They would probably get out of here quicker without me pulling them back.

I glanced at the piano. Like Austria, playing helped me calm down. I sat down and started playing. First was Canon in D, then a few other classics. The music swept me away, and I didn't notice when someone else entered the room.

As I sat back, much calmer now, there was the thump of a large foot step behind me. I whirled around, scrambling off of the bench, and saw Steve at the door. Shakily, I drew my katana and held it out in front of me.

Steve walked towards me. My eyes scanned the room, looking for exits, but there was only the door. Steve was in front of me now. Out of sheer desperation, I swung at him. The tip of the blade scratched his arm, but it didn't seem like he cared. He swiped at me but I dodged, and we started our battle.

I wasn't doing very well. I was faster, but I didn't know how to fight. Steve was slower, but he seemed to know what he was doing. He scratched my arm, not too deep but it still hurt. I screamed, and Steve used this to swat me against the wall. I could feel it, I knew that I had lost. Even so, I stood up to try again. There was no way that I was going down without a fight. Just as I was about to attack again, the door slammed open.

* * *

Japan and the others rushed up to the piano room, where they heard the scream. The door was slightly ajar, so they had no trouble bursting in. Japan's eyes widened slightly at the sight. Emma had her sword drawn, and was getting up from being hit into the wall. Her left arm was slightly bloody. She turned towards the door, and Steve used her distraction to hit her. Emma crumpled, and the Nations attacked.

"Italy-kun, get Emma-kun out of the way!" Japan ordered. Italy nodded, and Japan attacked. He and China tag teamed, while Canada brought out a bow. Where did he get that from?

"Japan! Emma's hurt!" Italy called. This made Japan hesitate for a moment, and he almost got hit. Russia stepped in.

"I can handle this, comrade!" He said cheerfully, whacking Steve with his pipe. Japan nodded in thanks and left the room. Italy and Germany were outside. Italy was wrapping up Emma's arm, and Germany was guarding them. Looking up from his work, Italy smiled at Japan.

"Japan! Is Steve gone?" He asked. Japan shook his head.

"No, the others are fighting. How is Emma-kun?" He asked, glancing at her arm.

"She'll be fine!" Italy reassured him. "I hope she wakes up soon…" Japan knelt down beside the girl, opening her eyes to check her pupils. Emma stirred slightly, and Japan removed his hand.

"...Hm?" Emma mumbled, opening her eyes slightly.

"Emma! You're awake!" Italy said happily. Emma frowned and tried to sit up, moving a hand to her head.

"Emma-kun, you should be more careful." Japan told her sternly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Emma flinched and pulled away.

"...Who…?" She asked. Italy gasped.

"Emma? Don't you know who we are?" He asked. Emma frowned, looking slightly dazed.

"...Italy?" She guessed, seeming to come more into focus. Italy smiled brightly and nodded.

"Si!" He replied.

"Nice… Cosplay…" She muttered, and his face fell. "You're really… in character…"

"No, we're the real ones! Don't you remember?" Italy tried again.

"Real…?" Emma asked. She finally looked over to Japan, her eyes settling on his katana. "Katana… I… I have one, don't I?" She asked. Her eyes focused, and she seemed to remember. "The mansion… You cannot easily set foot in that mysterious mansion in your town. Because if you anger its former occupant you will not get away lightly… Especially when there are no people there." Emma finished ominously. "I remember now."

"Is that…" Japan asked, trailing off.

"Fanart." Emma replied, not looking at any of them. They were all quiet for a moment.

"It's okay, Emma! We were just overreacting!" Italy said. Emma still looked guilty.

"I should have told you…" She muttered. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, Emma-kun." Japan told her firmly. "Let's put this behind us." Emma opened her mouth to protest, but the were interrupted by the door opening. England looked out.

"Oh good, you're awake. Steve's gone." He said. "Come inside." Italy and Japan helped Emma up. She clutched her head, swaying slightly.

"Owww…" She whined. Japan looked worried.

"Be careful Emma-kun. You probably have a concussion." He warned. Emma leaned on Germany.

"I'll be fine. Just give me a moment." They did, and Emma straightened. "Let's go."

* * *

My head hurt. Stupid Steve gave me a concussion…

"...So they might be in the basement." Japan concluded. "Emma-kun, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, you're really out of it!" Italy agreed. I smiled at them.

"I'm fine. Where are we going?" I asked them.

"We're going to check the basement." England replied.

"Ok." I said, not looking at him. He had been the most angry at me. I hope that he isn't still angry…

We started going to the basement, but England held me back.

"Emma? I need to speak with you for a moment." He looked uncomfortable.

"Sure." I replied, still not looking at him. He sighed.

"I'm sorry for getting mad at you earlier." He said grudgingly. Surprised, I looked up at him.

"And I could have found a better way to tell you." I admitted. "Truce?" He nodded, and we shook hands.

"Let's go." England said, quickly releasing my hand. I nodded and followed.

* * *

I leaned on Germany for most of the trip. Italy and Japan kept on shooting me worried glances, but I waved them away. This wasn't the time to be hurt.

The basement door opened into a small room with a dark staircase. Mentally, I sighed. My legs hurt from all of the running. The staircase lead down into another room, furnished like the ones upstairs. There were two doors, one in front of us and one on the same wall. Japan lead us into the door in front of us. The room was fairly small, only a table and three cabinets, so Japan, Italy, Germany and I searched it while the others waited outside.

"I found something." Japan said after a moment, getting a key out of one of the cabinets. "It says 'Cell'." I shuddered.

"Does that mean that there's a cell in the dark, creepy basement?" I asked.

"Bruder might be in there…" Germany said quietly. Sighing, I nodded.

"That would make sense." I admitted. "Next door?" Germany nodded as well and left. I was about to go too when I heard Italy say something quietly.

"Hey, Japan?" He asked.

"Hai, Italy-kun?" Japan replied.

"Haven't been brooding about something for a while?" Italy continued. I searched my brain. Had Japan been brooding?

"Have I?" Japan countered after a moment of silence. I relaxed slightly.

"Are you hung up on something? You've been odd since we broke that clock." Italy pushed. "And I don't think that it was just Emma."

"No, I'm fine." Japan insisted. "What about you though? You're shaking a little."

"What, really? Isn't it just your imagination?" Italy protested. Denial? "L-Listen… If you saw something, it was all a lie; you shouldn't think about it." Definitely suspicious.

I then realized that I was eavesdropping on a private conversation. We had already argued, and I didn't want to make it worse. I slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind me. Italy came out a few moments later, then Japan.

"Found anything?" England asked. Japan held up the key, and Germany started to leave the room. I started to follow him, then remembered that he was my crutch. I felt dizzy for a moment, and tripped. Russia caught me.

"Carefull, Emma. You don't need any more injuries, da?" He said cheerfully. "If you need to, you can lean on me instead." I straightened.

"...Thanks. Will do." We trailed at the end of the group, entering the next door and ending up in a stone hallway. This hallway had two doors.

"Are you scared of me?" Russia asked as we entered the nearest door. I didn't know how to answer. If I told the truth, would he get mad at me?

"...Yes." I decided. Honesty was the best policy, right? "You're big and have a large weapon, and I don't know you too well."

"Hmm." Russia hummed, smiling creepily. "I thought that you knew us? Through- what was it?"

"Hetalia." I told him. He nodded.

"Da, Hetalia. Don't you know us through that?" This room only had one large table, with a few chairs. I noticed something strange about the wall.

"Sorta…" I replied, drifting over to the wall. "Does this look strange to you?" Russia glanced at the wall.

"The wallpaper looks newer…" Lifting a hand, he knocked on the wall. Japan came over.

"That was… The sound of a door." He observed. Russia reached over to a large piece that was torn and pulled it off, revealing a door. Japan's eyes widened slightly.

"Ah, so there was a hidden door after all." He noted. The sound of ripping had brought the others over. "Let's proceed with care."

The door opened to a large hallway, also stone. There was only one door at the end. It lead to a room with a table in the middle and chairs crammed all around it. There was a door straight ahead and a door to our right. There was nothing special, so we headed right. It ended up just being another way to the entrance.

We headed back and went through the other door. This lead to a hallway with a cell door blocking it. Japan tried the key. It opened. He was about to close it, but I held him back.

"Let's not trap ourselves down here." I told him. He nodded and left it open. There was a door to our left and a door to our right.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello again! Chapter Twelve... Twelve hours in a day... Twelve Nations in the Mansion... I think I'm on to something. Or am I?**

 **Forgive my temporary insanity. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _We headed back and went through the other door. This lead to a hallway with a cell door blocking it. Japan tried the key. It opened. He was about to close it, but I held him back._

 _"Let's not trap ourselves down here." I told him. He nodded and left it open. There was a door to our left and a door to our right._

* * *

We started to headed right. Inside was a large jail cell, containing-

"You!" Japan said, startled.

"Japan, it's you! What're you doing here?" Asked a blonde that I recognized as America.

"We're the ones who should be asking you that! We were wor- wondering where you were!" England exclaimed. Ah England, tsundere as always!

"Anyways, could you please open this door for us? We can't open it from here, you see~" A person I recognized as France asked. Japan nodded.

"Ah, hai, of course. I'll open it now." He replied, inserting the key into the cell door. It swung open, and America, France, and Prussia came out.

"Phew, thanks! This was a good place to take refuge in, but then we couldn't get out and we've been waiting for you guys to get here!" America said happily. I winced slightly at his volume. It made my head hurt. Suddenly, France was in front of me. He bowed and kissed my hand.

"And I assume that you are Emma, the one mon ami Prussia has told us about?" He asked. I blushed, and pulled my hand away.

"Yes. And you're France?" I countered. France nodded, and smirked at England.

"Oui, I am France! Has Angleterre been talking about me?" He asked. England turned red.

"Of course not, Frog!" He yelled. I held up my hands, trying to pacify them.

"I already knew!" I protested. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped, spinning around. It was Prussia.

"Already knew?" He asked, frowning. "What do you know?" I hesitated, not wanting another scene like the one earlier.

"Bruder, what were you doing here?" Germany interrupted. Prussia turned away from me and I relaxed slightly.

"You guys wouldn't wake up! I had a really hard time after that! It's a miracle that I'm still alive!" He said dramatically.

"Prussia-san, you were gone when we woke up. Was it because you encountered Steve?" Japan asked. Prussia waved his hand dismissively, and I took out my journal and started recording. Because of my concussion, my handwriting was a little shaky, but I managed.

"Oh, him. When I was having fun keeping watch, there was suddenly a pounding on the door!" He said. "When I opened it, I found it was HIM." France smirked.

"His face was a masterpiece! But he came out swinging his sword at me and I got a little injured." France frowned as he said this, and I noticed that his clothes were cut on his shoulder.

"Aw, come on! I said I was sorry! It was just a flesh wound, anyway!" Prussia protested, grinning. France made a dramatically pompous sniff and turned away from his friend.

"Anyway, while you four snored away, we were exchanging some information, when suddenly-" He started, but Prussia cut him off.

"-Steve came out of fucking nowhere! I wasn't ready and my sword wasn't sharp enough and we got injured. We were in big trouble!" He said. "Waking you guys up would only make things worse," I winced slightly, feeling like he was talking about me. "so we fought in the hallway. We were at a disadvantage, so we retreated to the first floor."

"And then, before we knew it, that monster was there ahead of us, attacking America. We were going to sneak around behind it's back, but then America waved his hands and said, 'Hey, over here!' with a huge grin. So we got dragged into it." France huffed.

"I couldn't fight it alone!" America protested. "What's the problem? I just thought that we would have three times more chances to beat it-" Prussia interrupted before America could get too worked up.

"So, since we weren't ready to fight, we couldn't fight, and we ran away to this place. We took refuge in that cell, but then we couldn't open it from the inside, so we had no choice but to wait for you guys to find us." He concluded. Everything was quiet for a moment.

"...We need to explain to them what's happened since they left." Canada said. "Why don't we split up into two groups?" Japan nodded.

"Indeed. Their injuries are not that severe, either. I'll keep looking around the basement." He decided.

"I'll go with yo-" I started, but Japan fixed me with a firm stare.

"No. You are injured, and you will stay here." He ordered. I sighed and nodded.

"England and I will stay here to lecture America." Canada decided.

"I have some things to tell them too." Germany agreed.

"Then I'm coming with Japan!" America said happily. I sighed. Why did he have to be so loud?

"Weren't you listening? We're going to explain to you what's going on, so you have to stay!" China scolded him.

"Awww, do I have to?" America whined. "Japan will fill me in, can't you, Japan?" Japan agreed, but I thought that he looked slightly annoyed. It could've been my imagination, though. They were about to leave, but Italy decided that he wanted to go too. Japan shot him down and promised England and Canada that he would lecture America on their behalf.

"Give him a good earful." Canada told him.

"No, wait. I'm coming with you. There's something that's been bothering me." England decided.

"Er, but…" Japan protested weakly.

"It's just something that I want to check out." England told them. "Please." Japan nodded.

"I see." He said. "You may come along, then. We'll be back in fifteen minutes. See you later." America, Japan, and England left.

I sighed and sat down against the wall. I had a massive headache, and I wasn't used to so much running. Canada sat next to me while the others filled in Prussia and France.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked. I was glad that his voice was so soft.

"Sorta." I chuckled. "I've got a headache the size of Texas and I'm not used to being so… active." Canada laughed as well.

"Texas, huh?" He asked. I nodded.

"Well I am American." I replied. We sat there quietly for a moment.

"Tell me about your family." Canada suggested. I looked at him in surprise.

"What?" I asked.

"To get your mind off of the pain." He explained. I nodded.

"Well, there isn't much to tell. It's just me and my mom." I started. "She and Dad broke up when I was little, but I'd still visit him during summer vacation. He remarried, and I got along pretty well with my stepmother." I paused. "Then he died." I didn't want to go into further detail. Thankfully, Canada seemed to understand.

"What about friends?" He asked. I smiled to myself.

"Well… I had Kaylee, my best friend. She was really quiet around other people, but we could talk for hours. And Michael, he was another friend. We might have become more, but…" I trailed off, my smile fading. Russia came over.

"Can we have your journal?" He asked. "To help explain." I nodded and gave it to him. He went back to the others. Canada and I stayed quiet for a moment.

"How's your arm?" He asked. I pulled up my sleeve to show him.

"Still hurt." I told him. He nodded. After a while Japan, America, and England came back, saying that they found an exit. I was surprised. What about the bloody numbers featured in so many fan arts? Where had those come from?

"Oh, you found an exit?" Russia asked.

"Yeah! We can finally escape! Come on, let's get out of here!" England said enthusiastically. I frowned, still doubting but not wanting to rain on his parade.

"Shouldn't we hurry?" Italy asked as everyone started walking at a leisurely pace towards the door.

"We already have an exit secured! I want to explore a little! All I've seen is the basement; I want to go upstairs too!" America protested.

"But Emma's hurt!" Italy replied. Canada sighed.

"Germany, you go ahead with the others. When America is like this, nothing can stop him." He ordered. Germany nodded.

"Well, we do need to make sure that rope isn't rotten." He agreed.

"I'm splitting up too! I found some Chinese medicine that I wanted earlier; I'll go get it!" China said. Where had he seen that? I hadn't seen any Chinese medicine while I was exploring. Then again, I don't know what Chinese medicine looks like.

"Japan! Stay back, I want to talk to you. The others can wait outside." Prussia called. Japan nodded and we went outside. After a few minutes, Prussia came out. He quickly said a few things to the others, and they nodded and left. Japan came out a few moments later and the others left, leaving only me, Japan, Prussia, Italy, and Germany.

"Ready to go?" I asked them. Prussia nodded, but Japan avoided my eyes. I frowned a little as we walked. Did I do something wrong? I shook my head slightly, wincing at the pain, to clear my thoughts. My hand moved to my other wound on my arm, and I realized that I was still wearing Prussia's jacket.

"Oh, Prussia! I forgot!" I said, taking the jacket off. "This is yours! I got blood on it though, sorry." Prussia looked surprised, but he took his jacket back.

"Oh, danke Emma!" He replied, taking back the jacket and slipping it on. We walked straight through the hall to the only door in the basement that we hadn't tried. Behind it was a small room with a table and bookshelves. We passed through it to a stone hallway. Prussia smiled as we entered.

"Ahh, we can finally escape! At long last…" He said. Italy looked… scared?

"...Yeah." He agreed.

"You're too slow, I'll go on ahead." Germany said from the front of the group. I hung near the back, suspicious.

"Oh! Germa-" Japan protested, but Germany had gone around the corner. We had only gone a few more steps before we heard Germany yell. I winced at the noise. Italy panicked.

"Germany!" He cried, running after him. Prussia also started to hurry.

"What happened? Did you fall?" He called, following as well. Japan glanced at me.

"Let's go." He said. I nodded, and we ran as well. There were two corners in this hallway, and as we turned the first one we saw the others and a fire-like glow.

"...There it is." Japan breathed, stopping. I paused as well.

"J-Japan! Emma! Run!" Germany ordered, whip out. My eyes widened as I saw Steve.

"Let's go, quickly! I'm worried about the others!" Italy said. Prussia, surprisingly, laughed.

"I see… so this is what he meant…" He said. Germany tugged at his arm.

"Come on! Just run-" He started, but Italy interrupted him.

"All together! That's it! If we run, we can still make it!" He said, sounding like he was reassuring himself.

"J-ja." Germany agreed. Prussia still wouldn't budge.

"Japan!" He called. Japan looked like he was steeling himself. I put my hand on my katana and backed up. Everyone ran, with me in the front and Germany lagging behind. I heard Japan suddenly stop and call out to Prussia.

"Prussia-san! Wait! Germany-san tripped over a rock!" He said. I paused too. How did he know? I turned to see Prussia drawing his sword and running back. I couldn't see Germany.

"West!" Prussia yelled. I winced and put my hand to my head. This concussion made my head feel like it had a sword lodged in it, and yelling only made it worse.

"Shit! Not in this place-" Germany said as my vision got blurry around the edges. "Go! I can't get this vine off!"  
"Germany!" Italy yelled. I grit my teeth and moved towards the door. Not only did my head hurt, but my arm was starting to throb.

"Japan! Have you got your answer yet?" Prussia asked. Japan didn't say anything, but I heard the sound of Prussia attacking Steve.

"Prussia? Why?" Germany asked.

"This isn't the time to wipe the floor, West!" Prussia teased. Italy ran over to them, apologizing and asking if Germany was alright. Now only Japan and I were left near the door. Then, Japan left. My hand was on the doorknob.

"This is my answer! The enemy is stronger, but so are we. If we all join forces, we can defeat him!" Japan yelled. I smiled to myself. Their unity was admirable, but I wasn't a fighter. The best that I could do was hold the door open for them. I turned the doorknob and entered the room, holding open the door. There were sounds of fighting and yells, but I blocked them out. I leaned against the wall, one hand massaging my temples lightly while the other held open the door. They fought for a few minutes, before the sounds of fighting stopped and they ran through the door. I slammed it shut behind them, wincing at the loud noise. Italy grabbed my hand and we ran.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello again! I'm trying to think of something interesting and relevant to add to the author's note, but I can't think of anything. Oh, wait. For battles, I'm saying that only four people can battle Steve at a time or they would get crowded. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _There were sounds of fighting and yells, but I blocked them out. I leaned against the wall, one hand massaging my temples lightly while the other held open the door. They fought for a few minutes, before the sounds of fighting stopped and they ran through the door. I slammed it shut behind them, wincing at the loud noise. Italy grabbed my hand and we ran._

* * *

Russia was waiting for us behind the random cell door. He smiled.

"Oh, you're back. What's the matter?" He asked.

"We can't use that exit, it's burnt out. We have to run now!" Japan replied. Russia nodded and we kept on running. France was right behind him, at the door. Japan quickly explained and France nodded.

"Oh, so we can't use it anymore? Too bad. Let's just run away now." He said. Next was China.

"Really? Let's hurry!"

Then Canada.

"I-I see. That's too bad. Anyway, let's hurry. America and England are in that room over there." I stumbled and Russia scooped me up and carried me. We ended up in a small, bare stone room. Japan explained what had happened.

"You can't be serious!" England exclaimed. "And just when we thought we'd found an exit…"

"Lock the door!" China ordered. Japan did so.

"Wow. So now we're all assembled in this tiny room." America commented. I sat against the wall, my vision slightly blurry.

"Damn it! Even though we're all together here, that doesn't make our situation any better!" Germany raged. "Now we're locked up in here and that monster is after our fucking asses!" I closed my eyes, my head throbbing. Why did they have to keep on yelling? I'd been working too hard after getting injured.

"West, don't be so pessimistic." Prussia scolded. "What matters is that we're alive. Besides, with so many nations gone, maybe someone will rescue us." I cracked open an eye to see him looking at me. He knew that I knew their identities. Great.

"Besides, we need to break clocks and fix time." China added.

"Da, that's the best shortcut. But we need to rest." Russia agreed. I'm quite tired from running, and Emma is injured." Germany sighed.

"Maybe escaping really is impossible…" He panicked. "And now Steve's probably going to pick us off one by one! That's what I'd do, if I were Steve." I laughed quietly.

"Don't worry, Germany. If he does, he'll probably come after the weakest, so I'll be first." I said morbidly. Prussia frowned.

"That's enough, both of you!" He yelled. "We only lost one way out! There are still other ways!"

"...Prussia." Germany said, sounding apologetic. "I'm sorry. And… Thank you. For what you did earlier. This time, I intend to make it up to you for saving me. I won't be a burden." Him a burden? At least he could fight.

"Germany." Italy spoke up. "Germany, it's okay-"

"No." Germany replied firmly. "If I can't protect my allies, then my training was useless. At the very least I shouldn't be a burden." He said it again. He thought that he was a burden. I shakily stood up.

"Stop it." I said, surprised at how calm I sounded. "Didn't you hear me earlier? You have nothing to worry about. I'm the weakest."

"Emma-kun-" Japan started, but I ignored him.

"You at least are capable of fighting without getting in the way. You're actually very good at it. Just because you needed to be protected once, that doesn't mean that you're a burden." My voice started to shake. "Y-You don't need to be protected, or carried. Y-You can protect the others. I'm t-the protected."

"Don't worry Emma, we'll get out of this!" Italy interrupted. "After all, this is the first time that we…" He trailed off, looking like he'd said too much. There was an awkward silence.

"What's wrong, Italy?" France asked. Italy looked at Germany.

"Please… Please, if you get out, just keep running. No matter what, don't look back, don't forget about me, don't blame me, don't cry, and time-" He cut himself off.

"Um… You're shaking…" Canada noticed. I frowned and walked towards him.

"Italy, calm down." I told him. His eyes widened in panic as I hugged him.

"Italy-kun! Emma-kun!" Japan suddenly yelled. The door banged open and I looked over Italy's shoulder to see Steve. I froze, and Italy tried to push me off.

"Wha-?" England said in surprise. Italy tried harder to get me off, but I was still frozen, looking at Steve.

"Run, Emma!" He pleaded. "I don't want you to die too!"

"Italy!" Germany yelled. I closed my eyes and heard the sound of a hit. Strangely, it didn't hurt. One of my eyes opened, and I saw America standing in front of us, with Steve's arm caught.

"That kinda hurt." He complained.

"America!" I heard Canada whisper-yell.

"Stay back." Russia warned.

"Sorry, but Italy is my atmosphere-searching partner, and Emma is my citizen. You'll have to settle for eating an iron pipe!" I opened both eyes in surprise and America lifted Russia's iron pipe.

"America! Dodge-" Canada yelled as Steve started to attack.

"England!" America yelled.

"Yeah! That really bought us some time!" England said enthusiastically. "Impedimenta!" Italy turned around and I finally stopped hugging him.

"It can't be…" He gasped in surprise. America moved us both back as Steve was frozen in place. Then he turned back around to face Steve once again.

"Let's go!" He ordered.

"Italy! Are you alright?" Germany asked from beside us.

"Get your weapons! Let's all attack together!" Prussia ordered, drawing his sword. China nodded.

"I'm ready to go any time." He said. England was panting.

"England! You did a great job! You can stop now!" America told him. England nodded and fell. America, China, Prussia, and Canada raised their weapons.

"Don't worry. We'll take care of it." Prussia reassured us. They charged at Steve and Russia blocked my sight.

"Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded.

"The adrenaline is numbing the pain, but it's fading." I told him. He smiled.

"That's good for now. If you'll excuse me, I need to get England away from the battle." He walked over to England and I saw the battle again. America shot at Steve and I winced at the loud noise. Japan noticed and came over, once again blocking my view.

"Emma-kun." He stated. I looked at him.

"Hi Japan." I replied.

"China, now!" Prussia yelled from behind him.

"How are you coping?" Japan asked. I shrugged.

"Pretty well, considering the circumstances." We stood there and listened to the fight for a few more minutes. I turned to Italy.

"And how are you? You were pretty panicked earlier." I asked. He smiled brightly at me, clinging to Germany's arm.

"I'm good!" He replied. I smiled weakly at him, and the fighting stopped. I peeked around Japan to see that Steve disappeared. Japan turned around.

"You defeated it?" He asked. Prussia nodded and grinned, panting.

"I'm so awesome…" He decided. America flashed a thumbs up.

"As expected from the hero! Oh, we've got to heal England." He went over to where Russia had put England. Germany frowned at them.

"Is he alright? I don't really know what he did, but it looked like he used a lot of energy." He asked, concerned. I went over to Prussia.

"You've got blood on your face." I told him. There were a few drops on his cheeks. I wiped them away with my sleeve. "There. Much better!" He laughed. America told Germany that England was fine, he just needed sleep.

"There's a more pressing matter." China interrupted, holding his arm gingerly. Germany looked thoughtful.

"I see. I'll show you the way." He said. I gave him a puzzled look.

"To where?" I asked.

"A safe place." He replied. "Remember that thick door on the second floor?" I nodded.

"The iron one, right?" I confirmed. He nodded.

"Let's go there." I was still confused, but I shrugged.

"Alright. Let's go." I agreed. America picked up England in a fireman's carry and we set off to the second floor.

"Um, listen!" Italy said, stopping us. Germany sighed.

"Make it quick. We don't know how long Steve will be gone." He said. Italy nodded.

"Yeah… Um, America, thank you." He smiled, but something was off. America noticed too.

"...I think you should practice your smile a bit more. You can't say that with that face." He told Italy seriously. I suddenly heard snickering. I looked around, but no one was laughing.

" _Congratulations! Congratulations!"_ A childish voice said. " _You are-"_

"Quiet!" I yelled at it, scared. Everyone looked at me.

"Whoa! What's the matter?" Russia asked. I shrunk slightly under everyone's gazes.

"S-sorry." I apologized. "D-Did you just hear…?"

"Did something happen?" Japan asked, sounding concerned. I shook my head, not wanting them to think that I was crazy.

"N-No, it's nothing. Really, I'm sorry…" I apologized again. Prussia shrugged.

"You did hit your head earlier." He said. I nodded. That had to be it, right?


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello again! Sorry this is late, but happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Americans! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"N-No, it's nothing. Really, I'm sorry…" I apologized again. Prussia shrugged._

 _"You did hit your head earlier." He said. I nodded. That had to be it, right?_

* * *

"What is this?" I asked, looking around me. Just behind the iron door Germany had been hiding behind was a set of stairs. The top of them was dark.

"Follow me." Germany said, going up the stairs into the darkness. We did.

"Ouch!" I heard Japan say.

"Who's stepping on my foot?" Asked China. I stepped off his foot and tripped, falling into something soft.

"So… who's on top of me?" I heard Russia say from beneath me. I could feel my face redden as I got off of him.

"Hey, that's my hair! So, isn't it a little narrow in here? And dark?" France asked from somewhere to my left.

"Oh, sorry. There was a switch…" I could hear Germany fumbling around in front of me. "Wait just a minute, I'm sure that it was somewhere around here…" Someone bumped into my injured arm. I yelped loudly.

"Oops! Emma, was that you? Sorry!" America said. Germany turned the lights on and revealed a large room. We all looked around in surprise.

"Huh. Germany, did you…?" Russia asked, looking around.

"What the hell is this place?" China asked, also examining his surroundings.

"Beds!" I said happily, looking to my right to see ten beds. Germany looked at us, gauging our reactions.

"Hm. That went better than I thought." He decided. "Everyone is here." He cleared his throat like he was about to make a speech.

"I'm relieved that we didn't lose anybody. And I'm glad that we made it here in time." He glanced at me. He almost looked like he was going to say more, but Prussia interrupted him.

"Awesome!" He said loudly, stretching out the word. "What is this place? Did you make it, West?"

"...It's amazing…" Italy agreed.

"How did you do this?" France asked. My stomach growled slightly.

"I'm hungry." I decided. England started to wake up, and America went over to him.

"Where the hell am I?" England grumbled. "Don't tell me… we got out?" He glanced around and sighed. "I guess not."

"We have much to talk about. However, our first priority is sleep. We can talk later." Germany ordered. I nodded.

"Yeah, let's sleep! I'm tiiiiiiired." I whined. "And hungry." I added as my stomach rumbled again.

"I'm hungry too." China agreed. "But I want to sleep first. Let's take care of our wounds and then sleep." Everyone agreed and Canada went over to America, who was right next to me.

"America, didn't you get hurt when you used that pipe?" He asked. "Here, let me see your arm. Someone hand me the first aid kit." Germany handed it over and addressed everyone.

"Anyone who isn't injured get some sleep. We don't need to keep watch, this place is secure." Italy bounced over to him and Japan.

"Japan~ Sleep next to me! You too, Germany! I'll sleep in the middle!" He said cheerfully. I watched them. Japan nodded.

"Hai, of course. it's been so long since I've rested properly." Japan agreed.

"Hmm, then I guess I'll sleep next to West." Prussia said, sidling up to them. France yawned and made his way over to the beds, mumbling something. China followed him.

"Emma?" A quiet voice asked. I looked over to see Canada, done tending to America. "Do you mind if I check your arm and head?" I held out my arm in reply and watched as he unwrapped my bandages. I winced when I saw the cut on my arm. Canada noticed.

"Emma? You don't have to look." He told me. I looked over to America as I felt him going back to work on my arm. America grinned at me.

"So, you're one of mine?" He asked. I nodded.

"Emma Brune. Nice to meet you… America." I said quietly. At meeting my home country I was a bit shy. America didn't feel the same way as his grin just widened.

"You know?" He said. I nodded.

"I would shake your hand but…" I shrugged. America laughed.

"Emma, we'll need to wake you up every few hours to make sure that your concussion isn't serious." Canada interrupted, done with my arm. I turned to look at him incredulously.

"What?"

"And there are only ten beds. Someone's going to have to share." America noted. We glanced at the beds already taken. France, England, Prussia and China were asleep.

"I'm going to take a look around." I decided. "We can figure out the sleeping situation later." America nodded.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Bye!" He headed to the bathroom at the back of the room. Canada also said goodbye and wandered towards the back. I headed towards the kitchen for some food. Italy was there.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" I asked, coming up behind him. He jumped and spun around.

"Oh, Emma! You startled me!" He said. "I'm making something for us to eat tomorrow when we wake up. It can't be pasta, but hopefully you'll still like it!"

"I'm sure it'll be great!" I told him. Then I lowered my voice a little. "Better than England's food." Italy nodded earnestly.

"I think that England's food would kill us! I don't want to die!" He panicked. "Oh, and what are you doing up?" He asked.

"I was hoping to get some food before sleeping, and maybe taking a shower." I replied. Suddenly, I realized that I was with ten other men. Barricading the bathroom it was then. Italy handed me a piece of bread that he'd just buttered.

"Is that good?" He asked. I nodded.

"Thanks!" I said, biting into the bread. I pointed at the bathrooms to show that I was leaving. Italy nodded and got back to work. I started walking to the bathroom, pausing to talk to Germany.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Did… Did you do this all on your own?" I asked, gesturing to the room. Germany shook his head.

"When I first came here it was almost all complete." He told me. "I simply finished it. Oh, and the bathrooms are in the back." I nodded.

"I know. I was just going to take a shower." I replied.

"There aren't any showers, just baths." He said. He suddenly looked uncomfortable. "And… there aren't any doors." I became even more aware that I was alone in a house with TEN MEN.

"On second thought, I'll just wait until I wake up…" I decided.

"Guten nacht." Germany replied. I waved good bye and walked over to the beds. Japan was also getting ready to sleep.

"Are you preparing for bed as well, Emma-kun?" He asked. I nodded. "Oh. Oyasumi, Emma-kun."

"Good night Japan!" I replied, finding a bed and laying down. I fell asleep quickly.

"Emma, wake up." A voice said in my ear. I stirred slightly.

"Go 'way." I mumbled.

"I need to check your head." The voice said again. I cracked open an eye to find Canada looking down at me.

"I don't wanna." I said stubbornly. Canada sighed and made me sit up, checking my eyes and generally making sure that I wasn't dying.

"Ok, you're good!" He said cheerfully. "Sorry about waking you up, eh?"

"That was the most Canadian thing I've ever heard." I told him solemnly, awake now. "Now go away, I want to sleep." He did so and I lay back in bed. He and America were sharing a bed next to me, and I soon heard him fall asleep. A few minutes later, just as I was about to fall asleep, Italy woke up. My eyes opened as I heard him cry out.

"...Just a dream.." He said. I got up out of bed.

"Italy?" I whispered.

"Oh, Emma! I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Canada did that." Italy looked confused, so I elaborated. "For the concussion."

"Oh." He said. I sat next to him on his bed.

"Nightmare?" I asked. He nodded.

"It was really scary." Italy said quietly. I hugged him.

"Don't worry. It was just a nightmare, right? It's not real." I comforted him. Then, he started crying. I started panicking.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized. "Was it something I said?" Italy shook his head.

"No… It's me who should be sorry… I didn't mean for you to get dragged into this…" He cried. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just hugged him until he calmed down. It felt a little weird to be holding a (physically) 20 year old man, but I didn't say anything. Eventually he fell asleep. I tucked him into bed and went back to my own bed to go to sleep as well.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello again! I'm slowly running out of the material I've already written... I really need to start writing again. If any of you are wondering why Emma always hides behind Japan, it's because he's the first person she met. He's been with her from the start, so she feels safest closest to him. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"No… It's me who should be sorry… I didn't mean for you to get dragged into this…" He cried. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just hugged him until he calmed down. It felt a little weird to be holding a (physically) 20 year old man, but I didn't say anything. Eventually he fell asleep. I tucked him into bed and went back to my own bed to go to sleep as well._

* * *

I woke up fairly early the next morning, and took advantage of the bathroom being empty. The cut on my arm had partially healed overnight, so I didn't need to keep the bandage on. When I came out, breakfast was on the table and almost everyone was awake. I sat down and helped myself to some toast while Japan told us that one of our toilets apparently doubled as a store. He had gotten a vial of 'elixir' from it. We didn't know what it did, so we decided to not use it.

After everyone was finished eating, Germany stood up and addressed everyone. I looked up from my journal, which I had been doodling in, and flipped to a blank page to record what was happening.

"Now that everyone has rested, we should begin our conference. Any objections?" He asked. There were none, just a few compliments on Italy's cooking.

"America, this all started with you, but you don't have anything to do with Steve, right?" Canada clarified. "Is it safe to assume that Steve has nothing to do with Tony?"

"What? Tony?" America asked, sounding confused. "Why would you think that Tony has anything to do with this?"

"Well, they do look alike." England commented. America thought for a moment.

"Nah, I don't see it. Anyways, I definitely have nothing to do with Steve." He said. Prussia sighed.

"Well, if you're right we're in bigger trouble." He said. It was quiet for a moment. America looked like he was waiting for something.

"...You're not blaming me?" He asked, surprised.

"What?" Japan asked.

"It's pretty much my fault. If I hadn't bugged you about coming here, none of this would've happened." America said, sounding a little uncomfortable. A thought struck me.

"Hey, wait. If you guys were at a meeting- you were at a meeting, right?" There were general sounds of confirmation. "If you guys were at a meeting, why do you have weapons on you? Do you really carry around swords and guns and stuff constantly?"

"What? Of course not. Except perhaps America." England said.

"Hey!" America protested. Everyone ignored him.

"Anyways," England continued, "America said that we should bring our weapons, in case of ghosts."

"Oh." I said. "Ok, continue." It was quiet for a moment, before China turned to America.

"Why would you think that we're mad at you, America?" He asked. England nodded in agreement.

"You really do have hamburgers for brains." He said. Ah, hamburgers. I would love to have a hamburger right now.

"This may have started with a word from you, but we're the ones who agreed to come, eh?" Canada said. France nodded.

"We could've chosen not to come, but we chose to come with you." He agreed.

"And besides, if you had not told us to bring weapons we would be dead, da?" Russia concluded. America nodded, looking a bit surprised. I smiled.

"And that's why we need to work together! That way, we won't die!" I said cheerfully. We were quiet for another moment.

"Hey, there's something I want to tell you." Italy said.

"What is it?" Germany asked. Italy looked uncomfortable.

"W-well, you see… we need to go to the basement. If we aren't in the basement, I can't talk." He said.

"The basement? Why can't you talk here?" Prussia asked.

"Maybe he has something to show us." I replied. I turned to Italy. "Do you?" Italy nodded.

"I see." Germany said. "Then let's all head down there. But first, there's somewhere I want to go." Field trip!

"Where?" England asked.

"The cave with the burnt ropes. I thought I saw something earlier, but I couldn't pick it up at the time." Germany explained.

"All right. Let's go together then." Japan decided. We left.

* * *

Why did I agree to come down here again? Did I forget how creepy the basement was? Did I forget that you were never supposed to go into the basement in horror games/movies?

Needless to say, I spent the walk in the basement hiding behind Japan.

Prussia, England, China, and Canada stayed behind in the room before the burnt rope room. Something about not wanting to take up too much space. Japan and I were at the back of the group, so Germany was looking at the floor when we came in.

"What's the matter, Germany?" Japan asked him.

"Nothing." Germany muttered, staring at the floor. "I just wanted to remove the vine I had tripped over earlier."

"Oh, that makes sense." I said, also looking at the floor. I didn't see anything. "Did you get it?" Germany shook his head.

"I couldn't find anything…" He said. I felt a shiver down my spine.

"What! It's like a horror movie, stop saying that!" America protested.

"Yeah, and we're in the _basement_." I added. We shared a look.

"Well, it is dark. Are you sure you didn't miss something?" Russia reasoned.

"Nein, I didn't. I'm sure it was here." Germany said. "It's almost like there wasn't anything here to begin with." I shuddered and moved closer to Japan.

"It's like someone tripped you and wouldn't let you move." France said. I moved even closer to Japan.

"A-Actually... I only assumed it was a vine, but now that I think of it…" Germany started. Please don't say it, please don't say it, please don't say it- "It felt… like someone grabbed my ankle…" I squeaked in fear and everyone looked at me. I was cowering behind Japan, shaking and terrified.

"We're going to d-die!" I moaned. "We're all going to die horrible, gruesome deaths with blood and guts everywhere!"

"It's like a hand reached up from the earth and grabbed him~" France teased.

"Stop, I'm horrible with horror!" I scolded him.

"And started to drag him down to join it in the earth!" Russia continued. Germany scowled.

"That is enough. It was probably just my imagination. Steve could've come back to retrieve whatever I tripped on." He told them sternly.

"Let's just go to where Italy-kun can talk to us." Japan said, detaching himself from me.

"Hm?" Italy asked. He didn't seem to have been paying attention to the conversation. "Oh, sorry! We need to go the cell where Prussia and the others were."

"Understood." Japan replied, nodding. "Now let's go and put this incident behind us." I left quickly, heading into the room where Prussia, England, China and Canada were. Prussia noticed the look on my face.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Those two," I said, shooting a dirty look at Russia and France, "Are mean."

"It was just a joke, non?" France replied, appearing at my side. I huffed childishly, but I wasn't too mad at them. We headed across the hall to the cell room and looked at Italy expectantly.

"Before I say anything, I need you all to look in that box in the cell." Italy said nervously. China frowned and went to look at the small crate in the far corner of the cell.

"What about it?" He asked.

"Can you open it for me? I want to see what's inside." Italy replied. I frowned. What a strange request. I watched as America and France went inside the cell to try and open the box with China.

"What's in it?" Canada asked.

"Hope." Italy replied simply. Surprisingly, America and the others couldn't open the box. I watched as everyone except me and the axis went to try and get open the box. When they couldn't do it, Germany sighed and went to help. What is that box made of, titanium?

"Germany!" Italy said as Germany entered the cell. He paused and looked back.

"Yes, Italy?" He asked. Japan entered the cell to look at the invincible box. I almost followed him, but I hesitated at the door. I decided watching from afar was safer, in case the box did open and someone went flying back. Italy and Germany were having a conversation behind me.

Suddenly, someone did hit me. But not from the direction I had been thinking of. Germany stumbled back and fell on top of me, sending me crashing to the ground.

"Italy-kun?" Japan asked, shocked.

"Ow!" I protested. Italy locked the cell door.

"Hey, America, why don't you tell them?" Italy said. What? "Say it. In front of everyone. Who lured them here?" Lured? No, wait… Is Italy evil?!

"What are you talking about?" China asked.

"America?" Russia prompted. I struggled to get out from under Germany. I heard Italy's footsteps.

"By the way, there's nothing in the box." He said casually. His voice was farther away now.

"What's the meaning of this?" Canada demanded.

"America, what's going on?" England asked. Germany finally noticed me wiggling underneath him and got off of me. I looked up to see Italy near the door.

"Italy, why did you lock us in here?" I asked, standing up.

"Huh? Aren't you going to say it, America?" Italy repeated.

"Italy! Open this door!" Germany demanded. Italy shook his head, his back turned towards the group.

"But if I open it, you'll get mad at me." He said. His voice sounded a little weird. "Then again, you already are." He turned to look at us, and I could see tears forming in his eyes. "You're not going to say it? Fine then. I was the one who told America the rumors about this place."

"What?" France asked.

"I'm the one who told him. About this place." Italy repeated. "And then America went and asked everyone to check it out."

"Then…" Japan started.

"Right. It wasn't America who started this. It was me, I'm why you're all here now." Italy said.

"You told him? You're kidding, right? Why?" Prussia asked. Why did it sound like they were accusing him?

"Italy…" I said softly.

"I just happened to hear the rumors, and I told America." Italy replied. Okay, we get it. Italy heard it first. But why did he lock us in this cage?

Like he read my mind, France asked "Why did you lock us up in here?"

"Why? Because you'd get in the way? You'd get hurt?" Italy replied. "Just… Just stay in there for a while, okay?" England tried to use magic, but nothing happened.

"Shit! My magic-"

"Ah, that's right! Thank you, you were really helpful!" Italy said. I shuddered slightly. The evil Italy theory was back. "Well, I'll be going now. Thank you for finding this, Germany!" He held up a piece of metal.

"Ciao!" Italy was just about to leave, when America called after him,

"You should've learned to smile a little more naturally." What? What was wrong with Italy's smile, except for maybe being evil? "Did you forget what we said yesterday? About us being the ones that decided to come? This isn't your fault, Italy."

"Italy-kun! Please, open the door! You don't have to try this alone!" Japan pleaded. Italy didn't reply.

"Italy… Veneziano… Please…" I tried.

"No. We can't." Italy replied. "I'll tell you one more thing. Steve is after me. That's why he always attacks me first. That's why I tried to close the doors as much as possible. This ends here. I-I'll make this the last time…"

"The last time for what?" I asked. Italy smiled at me.

"This time… This time you're here Emma, so hopefully it will be different." He turned to Germany. "When I get back, give me a good scolding, okay?" He left, shutting the door behind him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello again! I hate Hamlet at the moment. I need to read it for Language Arts/English. Also, the voice makes a comeback! And remember that Romano is nice to girls. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"This time… This time you're here Emma, so hopefully it will be different." He turned to Germany. "When I get back, give me a good scolding, okay?" He left, shutting the door behind him._

* * *

Germany rattled the cell door, shouting after him. The others started arguing, but I didn't join in. Instead, I examined the bars. The spaces in between were fairly big. Experimentally, I tried to get through them. No use. I was small for my age, but not that small.

Then, I heard it. The childish snickering I had heard after yesterday's fight with Steve.

" _Try again!"_ The voice said.

"W-Who are y-you?" I asked softly. The others were arguing, so they couldn't hear me.

" _Try again!"_ The voice repeated. " _Try again! I fixed it!"_ I hesitated, but did as he (It sounded like a he) asked. This time, I barely squeezed through the bars. I turned around in surprise to see the Nations arguing on the other side of the bars.

"I'm out!" I said excitedly. They didn't listen. "Guys! I'm out!" I repeated, louder this time.

"Holy scheiße! Emma, how…?" Prussia said. This got everyone to look at me.

"I slipped through the bars!" I told them. "Here, let me…" I waked over to the door to try and get it open. No luck.

"It's stuck… and I don't have the key…" I told them, my elation wearing off.

"Hey, China! You're pretty small, try to fit through the bars!" America ordered. China grumbled but did as he asked. No luck.

"I'm too big." He said. The others tried, but none of them fit through either. Weird.

"I'm going to try to find Italy. He has the key, right?" I asked. Not waiting for a response, I turned and left the room.

* * *

Once outside, I realized that this was the first time I'd been alone in the mansion except for when I'd run away. My hand moved to my katana. I decided to head across the hall to the rope room first. It was closest, so perhaps Italy had gone there?

As I entered I heard voices. I couldn't see around the corner, so I drew my katana very carefully, trying not to make a sound. If I could get a jump on Steve, maybe I could weaken him enough to allow me to escape?

When had I started thinking like this?

"...the ropes are burnt halfway down… I hadn't noticed… oh, ow!" One of the voices complained. I paused. It sounded familiar.

"H-Hey!" The second voice replied. This one was definitely familiar, and distinctly Italian.

"Romano." The first voice said. That's who it was! Romano! I lowered my sword and looked around the corner. Spain was standing at the bottom of the burnt ladder, looking up.

"Yeah?" Romano asked.

"I'm so glad Ita is alright." Spain replied. Ita? They've seen Italy? "I'll see if I can find something to use instead of the ladder. Wait just a moment." Good luck.

"All right. And don't take too long or I'll get down this anyway. A-and… be c-carefull." Romano told him, the last part reluctantly. My shipping senses are tingling. Is that Spamano I hear?

...Focus, Emma.

"Oh, are you worried about me? That makes me so happy! I'll be right back, so just wait here!" Spain called up to Romano.

He turned towards me. I didn't duck behind the corner fast enough.

"Who's there?" Spain called. "Ita?" Now or never, then. I looked around the corner.

"Uhh… Hola?" I said, then I winced. That sounded bad.

"Hola! Quien eres?" Spain asked. I had no idea what he said. I took American Sign Language, not Spanish! I stepped out from around the corner. I saw Spain's eyes flicker to my katana.

"Umm… Sorry, I don't speak Spanish." I apologised, sheathing my katana. "You're Spain, right?" Spain opened his mouth to answer, but Romano interrupted him.

"Spain? Who are you talking to?" He called. I glanced at Spain, then stepped closer to him and looked up so I could see Romano.

"M-My name is E-Emma. Nice to meet you!" I introduced.

"What the crapola is a ragazza doing here?" He asked.

"I don't know!" Spain replied. He turned to me- oh, hello axe, aren't you big. "Have you seen anyone else?" He asked.

"You mean Italy? No, I was looking for him." I replied.

"You're looking for my fratello?" Romano called down. "That's it, I'm coming down."

"But Romano, it's burnt!" Spain protested. "I'll try and find-"

"There's nothing we can use." I interrupted him. "If there was, we'd be talking outside." Romano started to climb down the rope. When he got to the burnt part, he jumped. He landed a bit heavily, but he wasn't hurt. He turned to me and smiled.

"Now, do you mind telling us more about yourself?" He asked. I almost fainted from pure...Hotness? Italianess? Oh-My-God-it's-a-Hetalianess?

"U-Ummm…" I stammered. "M-Maybe it would be best if I s-showed you to the others…"

"Roma~" Spain whined. "Why aren't you this nice to me?" Romano turned around, scowling again.

"Shut up you damn tomato bastard." He said. I coughed quietly, trying to catch their attention.

"S-Should we go…?" I asked, trailing off.

"Okay! Just let me grab something!" Spain replied. He bent down and picked a piece of metal off the ground. I gasped slightly.

"The key!" I said.

"Key?" Romano asked. I nodded.

"Let's go!" I turned and headed to the cell room, with Spain and Romano following behind me. We went back across the hall and opened I opened the door. Japan was slicing at the bars with his sword.

"It's no use." He sighed. "My sword can't cut through the bars."

"We can't just use brute strength, and no one else can fit-" Russia started, but I interrupted him.

"I'm back!" I announced.

"Emma!" America said gratefully. "You're back! Is Italy with you?" I shook my head.

"I don't have Veneziano with me. Instead, I've got these two!" I pointed to Romano and Spain, who were just entering the room.

"Woah! What are you guys doing in here?" Spain asked. "Is this a world zoo? Do not touch or feed the Nations?"

"Key, please." I said, holding out my hand to Spain. He dropped the key into it and I unlocked the door to the cell while the Nations talked. Once I unlocked it, Prussia came out and hugged me.

"I'm glad that you're alright frau! I thought Steve got you!" He said. Japan came out next.

"I am also glad to see that you are well, Emma-kun." He said politely. I shook my head and hugged him briefly, before turning to the others. They seemed to have gotten Romano and Spain mostly caught up.

"That idiot… I didn't know he could be that stupid." Romano said.

"I'm surprised that you know so much about what's going on. We havn't told you much." France commented. Spain shrugged.

"Yeah, I don't get it either, but it looks like he shares some memories with Ita." Spain told him. Canada looked surprised, and I couldn't blame him.

"What? Does that mean that you know more about this place than we do?" He asked Romano. Romano shrugged.

"I know bits and pieces. We should go look for my idiot fratello." He suggested. Canada nodded.

"Let's split up into two groups. My group can start from the basement." He said. Everyone else nodded like they understood, but I was still a little lost.

"Wait, what? What are the groups?" I asked.

"The former allies are going to be one group and the former axis, with Spain-san, are going to be another." Japan explained. I nodded.

"Oh, okay. I'll go with you then, better than staying in this creepy basement." I decided. We split up and my group made our way out of the basement.

"One thing I don't know," Romano started as we climbed up the basement stairs, "Is who you are, bella." I glanced at him, surprised.

"Me?" I asked. He nodded.

"Si, how did you get involved with all of this?" He asked. I shrugged.

"It just, um, happened." I told him. "Japan! We should probably make a toilet stop if we have any extra money." Japan shook his head.

"I'm afraid we've used all of our money, Emma-kun." He told me. I sighed. Romano just looked confused. We swept the first floor briefly before heading up to the second. We checked the rooms, even Germany's safe room, before going into the room opposite the fireplace room. When I saw what was inside, I screamed.

It was a taller, more muscular Steve giant. And he was cornering Italy.

"What the hell?" Prussia yelled. Italy and Steve froze, Italy still panting.

"Italy-kun?" Japan asked. Giant Steve started fading away.

"Italy!" Germany yelled. Italy smiled weakly. He was injured, badly.

"You.. .found me." He said weakly, before collapsing. I was frozen in place, staring at his bloodstained clothes. The others rushed to him but I stayed at the door. They were talking, but I didn't hear it.

Why was Steve a giant? We could barely hold against him normally! I couldn't last against normal Steve for a minute!

"Emma-kun!" Someone yelled, and I snapped out of it. It was Japan. "Emma-kun! I need banda-"

"No, Japan." Italy told him.

"Just stop it!" Romano scolded him. "Why do you always have to do things alone? Just look around you!" Italy didn't respond. "Shit. When you wake up, I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Romano!" I said. "We should do something- get him to safety!"

"So… tired…" Italy said, sounding weaker than ever. He managed to roll his head so that he was looking at me. "Em... ma… don't… don't let them… die…" With that his eyes closed.

"Ita…" Prussia breathed. He checked Italy's vitals. "Thank Gott, he's still breathing. I was so scared." Japan went into business mode.

"Let's go back to our safe room. Prussia-san, you call the others back. Germany-san, Spain-san, you carry Italy-kun. Romano-kun, you help me take care of his injuries. Emma-kun…" He said.

"I-I'll just open doors and stay out of the way." I suggested. Japan nodded and we got to work. I left the room to open all of the doors on the way to the safe room. I almost thought I saw Steve in the hallway once, but when I turned the corner there was no one there. I grabbed a spare bedsheet and hurried back to Italy. Germany and Spain lifted Italy onto the bed sheet and used it as a stretcher to carry Italy to the safe room. After Italy was safe, I decided to hide in the kitchen. Much less blood there. After a while I heard the former Allies come in, but I didn't move. They started discussing Italy. After a while I moved to the bathroom. It was as far away as I could get from Italy while still staying in the safe room.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello again! Sorry for posting late, but it is prepare for finals week. Send help. Also, I wanted to do an experiment. How many people are actually reading this? Think of it as a reader role call. Just comment 'here' please, I need some motivation to write this fic some more. Thank you! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"I-I'll just open doors and stay out of the way." I suggested. Japan nodded and we got to work. I left the room to open all of the doors on the way to the safe room. I almost thought I saw Steve in the hallway once, but when I turned the corner there was no one there. I grabbed a spare bed sheet and hurried back to Italy. Germany and Spain lifted Italy onto the bed sheet and used it as a stretcher to carry Italy to the safe room. After Italy was safe, I decided to hide in the kitchen. Much less blood there. After a while I heard the former Allies come in, but I didn't move. They started discussing Italy. After a while I moved to the bathroom. It was as far away as I could get from Italy while still staying in the safe room._

* * *

I washed my face in a sink, getting off the small amount of dirt I had collected when Germany fell on me.

"Why am I reacting so badly?" I asked myself, looking into the mirror. Mirror me didn't answer. I sighed. "Well, I suppose that I'm not used to seeing so much blood. Compared to them…" I trailed off. Best not to think about it. I sighed again.

"They're all probably planning an escape out there, while I'm in here doing nothing. I have to be protected like an idiot. Meanwhile, they get hurt." I could feel tears welling up. "I… I just want to go home." I glanced at the mirror again. I had lost weight, which was weird and probably unhealthy considering I had only been in here for two days. Or two sleeps at least, with how strange time had gotten.

There was a knock at the door.

"Emma?" Canada called through it. "Emma? Are you there?" I quickly wiped my tears away. I checked the mirror to make sure that my face wasn't too blotchy, put a fake smile on my face, and opened the door.

"Hi, Canada. I'm fine, don't worry." I told him. He frowned at me, and I could tell that he knew I wasn't fine.

"You sure?" He asked. I nodded and exited the room. The others seemed to be waiting for me at one of the tables. Italy was conveniently out of sight.

"H-How is he?" I asked, joining the group. No one answered or met my eyes. I felt my breath hitch. "H-He's not…?"

"No." Japan said. Romano started walking over to the bed area.

"I'm going to give him a bath." He said. France grabbed my hand.

"Why don't we go to the kitchen, oui? I can make you some-"

"No." I said, firmer than I intended. "I'm fine." Romano came over, supporting Italy. Italy was covered in bandages. He looked confused, but Romano led him into the bathroom before he could say anything. Once they were gone, I looked at the group.

"What happened?" I asked.

"He… maybe he has amnesia?" Canada asked. England shook his head.

"No… It looks like something different." He doesn't remember? What doesn't he remember? Japan glanced at me and expanded on the other two's statements.

"It's similar to what I was like after we'd just broken a clock." He explained. I nodded. Prussia looked confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"When they break a clock they get strange memories." I told him. "It affects Japan the most."

"They? You mean you don't get the memories?" Prussia asked. I shook my head.

"Italy-kun must have gotten so many memories that they pushed him to the limit, both physically and mentally." Japan said. "It's like he's saturated with them. If any more memories pour in, he'll reject them." I frowned slightly.

"But you guys are countries, right?" I asked. "You've lived for hundreds of years. China's lived for over four thousand! Aren't memories your thing?" England gave me a hard look.

"In case you hadn't noticed, our Nation abilities are limited at the moment." He told me. I nodded sheepishly.

"Anyways, why does he have so many memories? Doesn't he have the same as the rest of you?" I continued. It was quiet for a moment.

"Emma, we believe that Italy has been through this multiple times." France said.

"What?" I asked, frowning.

"Like time loops." America explained. "Each time someone dies, the loop resets." It took a minute for this to sink in.

"You mean… then how many…"

"We don't know." America said. "But he's begun to reject the memories themselves, and the line has turned into dots."

"You mean his memories are all scattered around?" Germany asked. "So if he tries thinking of them, they might return?" Japan nodded.

"The proof is in that he tentatively called my name." He confirmed. I sighed.

"You two met when you signed that allegiance for World War Two, right?" I asked. Japan nodded. "Okay. Just fact-checking."

"Tentatively?" Spain asked, looking concerned. Japan was about to reply, but Italy and Romano came out of the bathroom.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Romano said. I glanced at Italy. He looked better than when I last saw him.

"You're fine, that was actually pretty quick." Prussia said. "Are you feeling better now, Italy?" Italy didn't say anything for a moment.

"Yes, sir. I am sorry about all of that. My head feels a lot better and I am fine now." He said. I frowned in concern. His English was worse, and his accent was much stronger.

"Sir?" Prussia asked. "Er, Italy…You know who I am, don't you?" Italy nodded.

"I do. He is Mister Japan. You are Mister Prussia. And he is…" Italy trailed off when he pointed to Germany. "Hol-" My eyes widened. Was he about to say Holy Rome?

"Hm?" Germany asked. I glanced at Prussia, but his face didn't reveal anything.

"Oh, er, Mister Germany…" Italy said. I almost felt like crying.

"Italy? What's wrong with you?" Germany asked. Oh, nothing Germany. You just look suspiciously like his long lost childhood love.

"Huh? Doesn't it feel like he's talking like when he was little?" Spain asked. I cleared my throat slightly.

"Italy… Do you know who I am?" I asked. Italy looked at me for a moment, then shook his head no. My shoulders slumped slightly, but I had expected it. If he barely remember the nations he'd been around for years, why would he remember me?

"Well, his memories are still kinda jumbled and he's a little confused. He still needs some time, okay?" Romano said. Russia nodded.

"Of course. Take your time." He replied. Italy nodded.

"Y-Yes sir." He looked at me. "I'm sorry…"

"No need to apologize. Just… get better, okay?" I asked. He nodded.

"Romano-san, you should stay with him." Japan suggested. Romano looked down.

"Wait. I was thinking… maybe I should tell you, after all." He said. This confused me. Tell us about what?

"Er, wait. I appreciate the sentiment, but we really shouldn't have told you to talk without considering Italy." England told him.

"You just take care of your brother." France said firmly. "If there is really no other way, we'll ask you again."

"That's right." Canada continued. "We still have other things to figure out. We'll have a meeting later, and see if we can remember anything. Until then we can wait." Romano nodded slowly.

"I see. All right, Veneziano, time to go to sleep." He said. As they walked away I turned to France.

"France?" I asked.

"Oui?"

"I think I'll take that meal now." I said quietly. He draped his arm across my shoulders, and I was a little surprised that there wasn't any groping or something similar. I immediately felt horrible for assuming that he would do that. He lead me into the kitchen and handed my a spoon.

"Do you want to help?" He asked, smiling at me. I nodded and began measuring the ingredients he gave me. Glancing over at the group I could see that they were still conversing, but they were too quiet for me to hear.

France started whistling, but I didn't recognize the tune. It was oddly comforting.

"What are you whistling?" I asked quietly.

"Hm?" He replied, distracted by cutting up vegetables. "Oh, just something that my mére Gual used to sing to me when I was little." I blinked in surprise, pausing my stirring.

"Gual?" I asked. "What was she like?" Now it was France's turn to be surprised.

"I thought you knew everything about us from that anime?" He asked. I laughed slightly, and for a moment I thought I saw relief on his face. Had I really looked that bad?

"Do you really think that all of history can fit into one anime?" I countered. "The only Ancients that I've seen are Rome and Germania. With a mention of Ancient Greece. And China, I guess." At this I glanced over at the 4,000 year old man.

"Really?" France asked, intrigued. "So what was in the anime?"

"Mostly WWII." I replied, shrugging. "It was supposed to be humorous, so it went over random funny things that you did."

"Like what?" He pressed. Quickly racking my brains for the most embarrassing moment of France's, only one came to mind.

"There was one time when you proposed to England…" I said, grinning. "Something about a little French village?" I laughed as I saw France go slightly red.

"Times were tough!" He protested, but I could see a grin forming. "Let's put this in the oven, oui?" I didn't know exactly what we had made, but it smelled delicious. I grabbed the plate and put it in the oven.

"Hey, Emma! Francy pants! We've got a plan!" America called from the group. France and I made our way over.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello again! I am about to enter a period of intense studying. Wish me luck. And thanks to** ** _AshStr XD1020_** **and** ** _Sakura-Hime 12345_** **for commenting on the last chapter! It motivated me to write a new one. I'll try to write some more when Winter Break starts. Oh, and sorry this chapter is so short. It was just the best place to cut it off. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Hey, Emma! Francy pants! We've got a plan!" America called from the group. France and I made our way over._

* * *

"So we're splitting up into two groups." America started. "One to explore the house and one to stay here. Which are you?"

"I'll stay here." I volunteered. "I would only get in the way." The other decided where they were going until it was Russia, Canada, Japan, England, and America leaving. France, China, Germany, Spain, Prussia, and me staying. And of course the Italians were staying too.

The exploring group left, and with nothing better to do I checked on the food.

"That won't be ready for a while." France said, coming up behind me. I jumped slightly, then turned to him.

"But I'm hungry!" I protested, as if that would magically make the food ready. France simply looked amused at my childishness.

"There are some rice balls on the table, if you are really that hungry. We don't want you to starve, oui?" He teased. Pouting, I went to the table to grab one. The 'elixir' Japan had gotten from a toilet store was next to them. Picking it up, I examined the pinkish contents.

"What do you do?" I muttered to myself, pocketing it. I took a bite out of my rice ball and wandered back over to the kitchen, which was emitting delicious smells. As I passed one of the storage jars, a little goblin-like thing appeared.

"Want it!" It demanded. I jumped back, letting out a small 'eep' of surprise.

"Want it!" The goblin demanded again. I brought out the elixir, as it was the only new thing on me person.

"T-this?" I stammered, holding the bottle out to the goblin. It snatched it from my hand.

"Thank you!" It said politely, before disappearing back into the jar. I glanced around, but it didn't look like anyone else had seen the short interaction. I looked inside the jar, but the goblin was gone. Inside was a piece of metal. Reaching into the jar, I grabbed it. The metal was slightly warm, like someone had been holding it for a while.

"Emma? What are you doing?" Came a voice from behind me. Turning, I saw China standing behind me, looking confused. I held out the metal to him.

"I found something!" He plucked the melat from my hand and examined it.

"It looks like… a key, maybe?" He said. "Though not a full one. There seems to be a missing piece, or pieces."

"Oh. You should probably keep it, we can show it to the others when they get back." I said as he tried to hand the piece back to me. He looked mildly surprised by this, but he didn't protest.

We stayed quiet for a while, with me eventually squirming uncomfortably.

"I'm going to… go talk to Spain! Bye!" I said, wincing inwardly at the bad excuse. I hadn't stalked *ahem* researched him as much as the others, so I was a little awkward to talk to him.

I did actually go talk to Spain. We had a nice conversation about Romano and their role in the anime. Eventually Prussia came over and the conversation switched to practical jokes the pair had played with France. It was nice, and I could almost forget that we were in a haunted mansion, but I still felt a little left out. They were Nations after all, and have seen and done much more than I have. I eventually wandered downstairs, but not going beyond the door. Ripping a piece of paper out of my journal, I posted a little sign on the wall that read 'Wounded and feeling tired? Nothing better than a nap in a good bed or splashing water over your face!', laughing to myself about it's likeness to a hotel or spa sign. Come to Hotel HetaOni, a fun horror attraction where you run for your lives and you'll probably die!

Wow, graveyard humor now? Really, me? I'm not dead yet! I seriously need something to cheer me up… Perhaps I can go visit the Italies?

* * *

"Ciao, bella!" Italy said as I came up. Unfortunately, he still seemed off. He recognized my not-entirely-natural smile and his shoulders sagged slightly. "I'm really sorry-"

"Don't be." I said, a little too firmly. "We haven't even known each other for more than a few days. Hello, Romano."

"Ciao." Romano replied. He pretended not to be, but I'm pretty sure he was secretly pleased that I had addressed him as well. Of course, it could always just be my imagination.

"Miss Emma, why did you come over?" Italy asked innocently. My mind immediately went to earlier, when he was just about to call Germany Holy Rome.

"I… Uh… Was just wondering what you were about to call Germany earlier?" I rushed, feeling my cheeks reddening slightly. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, I know it might be an uncom-"

"Holy Rome." Italy said quietly. "Do you know who that is, Miss Emma?" Damn that guy was fast. Much quicker than I gave him credit for. I nodded silently.

"They look alike, don't they?" I replied. He nodded.

"But how do you-" He was interrupted by the others returning.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello again! I am happy to announce that this story currently has over a thousand views! In other news, first two finals are done! We had a snow day yesterday, so that** ** _really_** **messed up the schedule. And I also bring a warning. Prepare for feels. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Holy Rome." Italy said quietly. "Do you know who that is, Miss Emma?" Damn that guy was fast. Much quicker than I gave him credit for. I nodded silently._

 _"They look alike, don't they?" I replied. He nodded._

 _"But how do you-" He was interrupted by the others returning._

* * *

"There was an Iggy ghost!" America explained once we gathered around the table, eating the delicious food France and I made. He looked as excitable as usual, but something felt off. His smile wasn't entirely natural. Japan also looked grim and he kept on glancing at Italy, as if to make sure that he was safe. "We went down to the basement and found that box from the cell."

"It wasn't a ghost." England said grumpily. "It was a magical message from my past self."

"Anyways, it was addressed to modern Iggy! It told us to find Italy's journal. We also found a clock and a letter! So we broke the clock, got some strange memories, and came back here!" Japan pulled something out of his pocket.

"Italy-kun. I have something for you." He said, holding out an envelope. "Read it out loud please." He looked confused, but nodded. Everyone held their breath slightly as Italy opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper.

"It's my… handwriting…" He murmured to himself. I happened to be sitting next to him, so I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He gave me a side glance that I understood as a 'thank you', then began to read.

"To the me who lives at some point at time, and isn't alone." My breath hitched slightly at that statement. Had I heard it before? "Once again I have made some mistakes, and also some progress. Meanwhile, I finally, but slowly, began to learn to rely on my friends. I was constantly afraid that everyone would blame me for dragging them into this, and that they would hate me, or be appalled at me, or get mad at me, and leave me… But then I was told that I had the wrong idea. T-they were very mad at me. It hurt so m-much. Not that they hit me, but it really hurt. I finally figured it out, but I can't pass this memory onto my next self. Unfortunately, I'll lose my life yet again." I could feel tears trailing down my cheeks as I silently cried. "That's why I'm writing a letter. Say thanks to England. And tell them the truth. I'm sure they'll get mad, but it's not that they hate you, or think you're a pain. Why didn't you rely on your friends sooner? What are friends for? That's what they told me, and that's what they'll tell you, too. I'm sure I'll cry." He's not the only one. I'm sure I saw another eye being dried somewhere. "And then… And then…" At this point Italy became overcome with emotion.

"Italy-kun." Japan said quietly.

"What?" Italy asked as I slung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a half-armed hug.

"I've been wondering what to do all this time… But what do YOU want to do?" Japan asked. Italy shifted around slightly.

"I guess… we should investigate someplace…" He started. Japan shook his head.

"No, I mean when we all get out of here. I've talked about this with Russia-san, about how we should have a party at my house or something like that." A party with the Nations? That was something most Hetalia fangirls would kill to have. Yet, strangely enough…

"At your house? Sounds like fun!" Italy said, sounding a little more cheerful. What about my family?

"I also have to work late, so everyone should arrive late at night. I'm sure we'd all be tired, so I think we should sleep over as well." My world? "I have a kitchen garden. I could wake up early and pick some vegetables."

"Hey, that sounds like a good idea!" America spoke up. "I'll get up early too!"

My life?

"Arigato. When we're done we can make breakfast." Japan replied.

"I can help with that! And America can wake up everyone!" China added. I had been writing down the conversation in my journal as usual, but now I was just making party plans, keeping a note on what everyone wanted.

"Hai. And then… perhaps we can all go out somewhere?" Japan suggested.

"Let's go to an amusement park!" Prussia said. I jotted that down, listening intently while also paying attention to my thoughts of home.

"Well, I suppose I can contain mon amor for one occasion." France said, smiling.

"A day or two won't be enough. We could go shopping." Japan encouraged. England smirked.

"I could take a look at the suits!" He said. Russia nodded. My thoughts raced to my friends. My best friend Kaylee had always pretended to hate dressing up, but I knew she secretly enjoyed it.

"I want some clothes while at Japan's place. What was it called? A yukata?" He agreed. My mind suddenly went from home to a future with the Nations. We were all so happy, laughing together.

"I can hardly wait. And when we all get back to my place, we can have a banquet." Japan replied. My normal life started to seem dull in comparison to the prospect of life with the Nations.

"With food from all over the world! I wonder what I should make…?" Canada wondered.

"I'll make pasta and pizza!" Italy said, sounding more cheerful than he had before.

"I'll add beer and wurst." Germany added.

"And then we'll all sleep together in a huddle!" Spain continued cheerfully. Everyone's tears had dried but my own.

"I'll lay out the futons in the other room. You may sleep wherever you like." Japan said, sounding like we were all there already.

"Sounds interesting. What should we bring as a gift, Veneziano?" Romano asked his brother. Italy smiled widely.

"We can bring the best ingredients!" He said happily. I suddenly felt eyes on me. Funny, I had felt invisible before. Just an observer to the goings of Nations.

"What do you want to do, Emma-kun?" Japan asked softly, noticing my tears.

"I…" My mind immediately replayed every thought I had during this conversation. "I…"

"You what?" America asked.

"I… I want to go too. And have fun. A-and then…" I paused, glancing around the room. "I want to try to go home." Because even if I could have fun with them, it would only be a short lived dream. I was human, and I would grow older, and I would die. And I couldn't do that to them. I couldn't watch their faces as I grew older while they stayed the same. I couldn't be left behind as I grew frail. I couldn't be Davie.

Because as wonderful a dream it was, all dreams have to end.

"But first, I want you to introduce me to everyone!" I added, seeing their faces. "And I want to visit each of your homes!" If I couldn't go home I'd disappear. I'd pretend that nothing had happened, and continue living. I'd move to someplace that I didn't know- Australia, perhaps?- and make a living there.

"You see, Italy-kun…" Japan said quietly.

I would let them forget me.

"...That's why we all have to escape. With everyone who is here, without losing a single person." He finished.

"...Si." Italy said quietly, looking down. The festive mood had dimmed down into a comfortable sense of companionship.

"Ah, Italy-kun? Why are you looking down? Are you still unwell?" Japan asked, concerned.

"No, I'm fine. There's something I want to tell you." Italy replied. Spain's phone suddenly rang, shocking us all, and he sighed exasperatedly.

"Ah, Romano! What are we going to do?" He asked. I looked up in slight shock. Romano seemed just as confused.

"What are you talking about, Tomato Bastard?" He demanded.

"I forgot to tell Austria and the others that we found Ita!" At this, he glanced at me and my eyes widened. Was he acting on my wish to meet other Nations?

"Eh, quoi? Is he coming too? And what others?" France asked. The others… there were so many others he could be talking about…

"Almost everyone who came to the World Meeting." Romano confirmed. "Looks like you'll get to meet everyone now, Emma." Spain laughed.

"You really threw a temper tantrum back there, didn't you Romano? You were so desperate to save your hermano!" He teased, nudging Romano's side. Romano blushed tomato red.

"What the fuck is wrong with that, bastardo?" He demanded. "I can swallow my pride to save my fratello!" Prussia grinned and put an arm around Germany. Italy smiled gently at his older brother.

"Thank you, Romano." He replied.

"I just want you to come back… I don't want you to have to go through everything again." Romano said.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello again! So, it's the 20th chapter. I'm pleased with myself, I'm not usually this good at continuing stories. And now that it's winter break, I can write even more! Finals are done, I've got good grades, and my birthday's coming up!**

 **Oh, and one more thing. There will be romance in this story, but it won't affect the plot very much. It won't appear until the very last chapter, but it will be Emma x A Nation. Hope you enjoy!  
**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"What the fuck is wrong with that, bastardo?" He demanded. "I can swallow my pride to save my fratello!" Prussia grinned and put an arm around Germany. Italy smiled gently at his older brother._

 _"Thank you, Romano." He replied._

 _"I just want you to come back… I don't want you to have to go through everything again." Romano said._

* * *

Russia glanced at the phone in Spain's hand. "We've fixed time now, da? That's why the phones are working."

"We still have to get out of this hell hole." I muttered, still shaken from the dramatics.

"Though we could probably hear them from all the way in here. You youngsters are so loud!" China complained. I smiled, shaking my head slightly. Everyone was a youngster compared to China. America grinned at me.

"Let's hear Spain get an earful!" He said. Spain shuddered comically.

"Oh Dio, can you get it Romano?" He asked.

"Just answer it, Tomato Bastard." Romano huffed.

"Can I answer it?" I asked impulsively.

"You?" Canada asked. Oh well. If I'm going to do this, I've got to be committed! I nodded, and Spain handed me the phone. Pressing answer, I held it up to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked. Italy pulled my arm so that the phone was away from my ear before I heard loud, angry scolding in what I assumed was German.

"Ummm… Sorry, I don't speak German. Do you mind repeating that in English?" I asked. There was a long pause before Austria answered.

"Who is this?" He asked.

"My name's Emma. And I assume that you are Mister Austria?" I asked politely, doing my best to keep a straight face even if he couldn't see me. The other Nations didn't have such luck, but they were stifling their laughter at his obvious confusion.

"How do you know who I am?" Austria asked.

"Ah, so you are Mister Austria. May I ask why you called?" I continued. America had covered his mouth with his hands to avoid bursting out laughing and ruining the joke.

"Is Spain or Romano there?" Austria finally decided, apparently ignoring the strange human for now.

"Yes, would you like to speak to them?" I said.

"Yes." He replied.

"Do you mind if I put you on speakerphone, so that both of them can hear?" I asked. Austria was quiet, so Romano took the phone out of my hand and put it on speakerphone. He then handed it to Spain, smirking.

"Oh, hola Austria!" Spain said nervously.

"Spain. Who was that?" Austria asked.

"Oh, that was Emma. She knows about us, and she's stuck here too!" Spain replied, seemingly happy that Austria wasn't going to scold him. Austria sighed.

"There's a mountain of things I want to say to you. No, more than a mountain. I was worried sick, you fool!" He said.

"Lo siento, Austria. We were busy!" Spain defended.

"Never mind. Italy, are you there?" Austria asked.

"Si!" Italy replied.

"Well it's good to hear that you're safe. Look out the second floor window towards the front of the house." Austria ordered.

"Huh? Okay." Italy replied.

"Field trip!" I announced.

"Emma should be in the middle, since she's the weakest. Italy should be there as well, since he's being targeted." England decided. I considered protesting about the weakest part, but it was true. We grouped up and headed to the specified window. France glanced out for a moment, then Italy had a turn. America, Canada, and China watched for Steve while everyone watched Italy at the window.

"Italy. I've heard about what you've done to some extent. Not your best moments, hm?" Austria said sternly.

"I'm sorry..." Italy started.

"You're far from being a fool! You're an outright idiot!" Austria pressed on. I had always admired Austria's character, because of his piano playing talents, but he was starting to annoy me. "Romano was so worried!" Oh. That was sweet of him, to be worried for the Italy brothers.

"But- oh!" Italy said as he continued looking out the window. "Miss Hungary! Miss Ukraine, Miss Belarus!" Holy Roman Empire, how many people were out there? I really wanted to look outside now, and see all of the amazing female Nations.

"Italy, I don't approve of your attempts to solve everything on your own." Austria said. "However… You really did your best. The whole world has come to help you, but we can't find a way in. We'll have to support you from the outside, however… frustrating… that may be."

"Those are the Nordics!" England said, also peering out the window. I was practically vibrating on the spot, I wanted to see so badly. There was a gentle nudge from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Prussia.

"Go on, frau." He said. "Though it is a little creepy…" I nodded and rushed over to the window. I glanced outside and managed to catch a glimpse of the blonde Nordics, Hungary's brown hair, and Belarus's silver-blonde locks. Russia was behind me, also trying to get a glimpse of his sisters. I moved out of the way so that he could see.

If I got out of this mansion, I could meet them all. If not… I had nothing to worry about, because I'd be dead anyways.

As if England could read my thoughts, he said "We really do have to all get out together."

"I…" Italy said softly, gazing out the window. Such a show of support seemed to have rendered him speechless.

"Hai?" Japan asked, a slight smile on his face.

"I'm all un-alone." Italy replied. I reached out and grabbed his hand.

"You were never alone." I told him. "As if you'd be able to get rid of them!"

"Come home soon, the cakes are getting cold!" Austria ordered. "First, come out safely. Everyone agreeing is strange."

"It's a unity warning." China said. Unity warning? I wasn't as versed in politics as the Nations, but I assumed that meant a show of unity and general togetherness. Sort of a 'if you're going to mess with me, you'll also be messing with my friends' thing. America laughed.

"Yeah, we can't get anything done in a meeting, but now we're all working together!" He said. Didn't Ronald Reagan do a speech on world unity? Or was that aliens...

"Well of course! Even though we fight and don't get along, we're all fellow Nations!" Spain replied. My good mood suddenly vanished. I was invisible again, just a mortal human.

I moved to the back of the group, eyeing the exit.

"Emma-kun? Are you alright?" Japan asked. I nodded mutely.

"...I'll tell you everything." Italy said at the front of the group. "It might take a while, but I still want you to listen."

"It's about time!" China huffed. "Go on, don't hold anything back." Japan's attention was drawn to the front again.

"It began shortly after the World Meeting…" Italy began, but I cleared my throat slightly.

"Shouldn't we move back to the safe room?" I suggested. "Steve might attack."

"Oh, good idea Emma!" Italy said. At some point he had hung up with Austria. We made our way to the safe room again. I grabbed a snack and got out my notebook to record what Italy told us.

We all sat down at the table and Italy began his story.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello again! Sorry about missing the last update, I blame Christmas (Merry Christmas, by the way). But I got a new laptop, so I've been setting that up! This also means that I should have more time to write, as I won't have to use the family computer. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Oh, good idea Emma!" Italy said. At some point he had hung up with Austria. We made our way to the safe room again. I grabbed a snack and got out my notebook to record what Italy told us._

 _We all sat down at the table and Italy began his story._

* * *

"Well… Where should I start?" Italy asked. I had my journal out and was ready to take notes.

"This isn't the first time we have come here, is it?" Japan asked. Italy nodded.

"Da, Amerika said that we have been through this many times." Russia agreed. Italy was silent for a few moments, before nodding silently.

"Si. We've gone through this several times since the world meeting." He replied.

"Several? How many is that?" I asked. Italy shuddered slightly.

"I-I don't know. At least a hundred. Some only lasted for a short time." He answered quietly. My eyes widened as I tried to comprehend living through this- this _hell_ \- that many times.

"What happened the first time?" America asked Italy, changing the subject.

"How this started. Okay!" Italy replied, looking more cheerful. I got ready for a long portion of exposition. Is it exposition if it's in real life? Then again, this had all started as a game…

"Before the world meeting Germany and I were training, but I ran away to a city I don't know. When I was there I heard some rumors about this place and it sounded interesting, so I told America." He began.

"Yeah, I remember that." America interrupted. I was sitting beside him so I hit his arm lightly.

"Let him tell his story, Al." I scolded him.

"Al? He asked, confused.

"What? Oh, never mind. Italy, continue." So no human names, then?

"Umm… So the first time I came with nine of you." Italy started again, only to be interrupted by his brother.

"Which is everyone besides Emma, Spain and I. This is our first time through." He said.

"We were just going to have fun." Italy continued, ignoring Romano's interruption. "We were going to go home soon. We opened the door and came in, but as you know…"

"Steve." I finished. Italy nodded.

"We all ran in different directions, and I got lost from everyone, and I was so scared and had no idea what happened." Italy had begun to speak faster but Germany placed a hand on his arm, calming him. "I wanted to find someone as soon as possible, and after walking around a lot I found Japan. But… He had just been beaten by Steve." My mind flashed to a fanart I had seen of Japan bleeding out on the piano. I involuntarily clutched my pen a little tighter. "Until then I had completely forgotten that he had come. Like there was this gap in my mind… And while I was thinking there was something wrong with my memory, China, Russia, France, America, Canada, and England were killed one by one." His voice shook slightly, but he carried on just the same. "By the time I was finally able to escape, Prussia and Germany were killed too. I was the only one alive."

"You were… alone…" France breathed. I shuddered slightly. Being alone in a place like this… It's a wonder that Italy's still sane.

"I was supposed to get out, but I felt too hopeless. I just wandered around with nothing to do until I ended up in the library. That's when I found this book." The red book he had been using as a weapon was on the table in front of him. I hadn't given it much thought before, but it reminded me of my journal slightly. The covers were both in the same style, except mine was blue. His was slightly more embellished, but other than that they were identical.

"That's the Bible you've been carrying around, isn't it?" China asked.

"It kinda looks like a bible, but it's actually a journal." Italy corrected him. "When I opened it, it had the name of it's previous owner on it."

"So it's like Emma's?" Prussia asked, glancing between the two books.

"Mine's perfectly normal. Just a blank book I started writing in." I replied, holding it up slightly. "It didn't have any names in it." Now that I thought about it, fan art always had Italy holding his journal. Japan pulled the book over to him.

"Ryuuzu no Ko?" He asked, looking at the name.

"Everyone had died, permanently, right in front of my eyes." Italy said, picking up where he had left off. "By then I wasn't thinking straight any more. That's when my memories get a little fuzzy. I was going to throw the book away, but Steve started chasing me and I brought it with me. After that… I got out. I was alone… But I got out…" Italy had started shaking, his eyes wide and glassy, like he was looking somewhere else. "I'm the only one who survived, the only one who got out. I shouldn't have been able to get out. I was confused. Steve chased me to the gate, but I stopped right in front of it and I told him to stop too. He did, and I told him that I won. I threatened him… and I made a deal. I challenged him to take us back, and to try and catch me. He did." Italy stopped with a shuddering breath. Germany had wrapped an arm around him, while Romano was holding his hand. Italy took a few moments to compose himself, then continued.

"I woke up in the meeting hall and I knew that I'd gone back. I became the new owner of this journal. It says that he was the only one who could go back in time." Japan began flicking through the pages, but they were mostly blank.

"There's nothing too important in there. Just instructions on how to turn back time. Writing in it doesn't work either, the words just vanish." Italy told him.

"So you made a pact with Steve. He made time go back and he could- can try to eat you." China said. I shuddered. This 'game' thing had gone too far. It was one thing playing a fictional game about fictional characters, but it was another to be in it. I could hear the emotions in their words and see the tears running down their faces. I didn't want to play anymore.

"The second time I tried to stop everyone. But no one would listen to me. You were already headed here." Italy continued. "No matter how many times I come here, I can never stop you from coming. Even if the groups change, we always come to the mansion."

"That's why we keep on getting memories of coming with different people." Canada realised.

"Si." Italy agreed. "In the second loop I couldn't save England, China, or America. So I came back."

"Wait a sec!" America protested. "Didn't I survive in the second time loop?"

"What?" Italy asked, surprised.

"Hai, I remember it as well. It pains me to say this, but… Italy-kun, you were the one who…"

"Italy died?" I asked. Japan nodded.

"I'm the only one who died?" Italy exclaimed. "But that's impossible!"

"Perhaps you're just confused after going through it so many times?" England asked.

"No, I remember the second time perfectly. My memories only start to mix at around the tenth time…" Italy told him.

"Besides, who could make time go back if Italy was dead? And wouldn't the game end if Italy dies?" I added.

"Ah, da. Italy is the only one who can go back. That wouldn't fit… would it?" Russia said.

"But we saw it in the clock! During the memory, Italy-kun said that it was the second time." Japan protested.

"I did?" Italy asked. "There were definitely several times when I opened up to you like now, but… the second time… Where was the clock?"

"Clock?" I murmured. Almost every fan art had some sort of clock in it. I thought that it was just the messed up time thing, but maybe there was more.

"Remember the box in the cell?" America asked. Oh yeah. The super strong one that no one could open. "The clock was inside that box, with your letter to you."

"There was something inside that box?" Italy asked.

"It looked like I was the one who sealed it. My past self, to be exact." England told him. Sealed it? What did he mean?

"Ita, maybe you haven't gotten all of your memories back yet?" Spain asked nicely. "That could be why you remember things differently."

"Yeah, we can't expect you to remember things perfectly. But we've got the gist of it!" Canada agreed. I glanced over my notes.

"Basically, everyone besides Spain, Romano, Italy and I died the first time around. Spain, Romano and I were because we weren't here. Now Italy is the only one who can go back in time." I summarized. "Did I miss anything?" Japan looked like he disagreed.

"Something wrong, Japan?" I asked.

"How do you go back in time, Italy-kun?" He asked.

"There's a clock somewhere in this house. A really huge one! I just have to rewind it." Italy explained.

"And it's in a different place each time?" Japan clarified.

"Si, that's right. The first time it moved around so that I could escape, but it would be in a different place each time someone died and I went after it." Italy said, before his face fell. "Sadly, it's the only way to escape."

"You mean… for everyone, right? You're including yourself in that?" Japan said. Italy suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Oh, um…" Italy procrastinated. I frowned at him.

"No way in hell, Italy. The world needs you." A little voice in the back of my head agreed. Yes, the world needs Italy. But the world doesn't need _you._ I mentally pushed it back. I'd cross that bridge when I got to it.

"Do you remember the question I asked you earlier, Italy-kun?" Japan asked.

"Question…?" Italy asked, confused.

"I asked you if you were… hurt somewhere." Japan said quietly. I suddenly felt like I was intruding.

"Oh. Si, I remember." Italy replied.

"I'll rephrase my question." Japan said. Italy nodded. "Is there somewhere you want to be?"

"Japan…" Italy said quietly.

"Just… please answer, Italy." Japan replied. He didn't use the honorific this time, so I knew that this was important.

"I…" Italy trailed off. "All of this time, I wanted to be with you guys." I could relate. In the short time I had been with the Nations, I had grown attached to them. As long as they were happy, I was happy. And I resisted it, knowing that getting close would only mean more pain when I finally broke away.

Italy had started to cry. "All of me hurt, but I couldn't stop trying, and yet I couldn't stop trying either." He hesitated. "But maybe I can tell you now? I actually wanted to be with you too. I wanted to escape with all of you."

"Hai. And so do I." Japan confirmed.

"Ack! Japan, you made Italy cry!" Prussia complained. "Emma too!" I was crying? My hand moved up to my face to find that it was indeed wet with tears. Germany sighed.

"Bruder, this is a serious conversation!" He complained. America slung an arm around my shoulders.

"Don't worry about it! This time we'll all escape! The last time you needed the clock was literally the last time, okay?"

"No objections here." England chuckled. I moved slightly in my seat.

"Um… What about me?" I asked.

"What about you?" America replied.

"Well… I'm not from this universe. And I haven't been here before, in any of the other time loops. If I die now, will I go back in time?" I asked. I hated to kill the mood, but this was a serious question. Did I get a replay?

"I… I don't know." England replied. Looks of realization came onto everyone's faces.

"Does that mean… that this is our only chance?" Canada asked. America tightened his arm around me.

"That just means that we have to be extra careful this time. We need to make this the one where everyone gets out." America said firmly.

"If Emma, Spain and Romano are here this time, it must be a deviation from the normal loops. Maybe we could take advantage of that?" China asked.

"Si, we must be here for a reason." Romano agreed.

"But why me?" I wondered. That always seemed to be the question, didn't it? "What can I do?"

"Well," England began, looking at me. "You can start with what you know about the game you were going to play."


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello again, and Happy New Year! I have spent New Years Eve writing up a new chapter, as I have finally run out of prepared chapters. I'm going to continue working over break, but I may need to slow down updates to once a week once school starts again. Also, the 2p's will NOT be appearing in this fic. I have thought up a (fairly complex) backstory for the mansion that I will be using. Speaking of which, this chapter is origional. For the fanart I just used the first images I saw when I googled HetaOni. Finally, I just realized that I accidentally put the wrong part for the italics in the previous chapter. I have now fixed that. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"But why me?" I wondered. That always seemed to be the question, didn't it? "What can I do?"_

 _"Well," England began, looking at me. "You can start with what you know about the game you were going to play."_

* * *

"HetaOni." I told him, and he nodded.

"Yes, HetaOni. You said that you saw fan art? What was it of?" He pressed. I flipped through my journal, looking for one of the pages.

"Here!" I announced, finding it. "As I remembered things, I wrote them down on this page." I put the journal in the center of the table, and everyone leaned in to read it. It was unorganized, and filled with random little phrases. America pointed at one.

"America sitting w/ Eng. and Canada. Eng./Canada dead?" He read. "Does that mean that Iggy and Canada die?" He sounded panicked.

"I…" I said, trying to remember. A fanart of America sitting in the middle of two beds with Canada and England on them came to mind. "I don't know. Maybe it was from a past loop?" I glanced at Italy.

"It sounds like the first loop." He agreed. "When Canada and England had died. America refused to leave them."

"So not this one?" Canada asked. Italy nodded, and pointed to the next set of words.

"Eng. and Japan- Bro fist of destiny?" He read. "I don't remember this happening." Everyone looked at me.

"Hey, I don't know!" I protested. "But I don't think that anyone was dying or hurt in that one."

"There's a lot of blood in these." China commented, scanning the entire page.

"Yeah, there was." I agreed. "A lot of blood in the fan arts, I mean. And most of it was in the form of numbers."

"Bloody numbers?" Prussia asked.

"Yeah." I agreed. "One to twelve. That may just be clock symbolism though."

"And what's this about me going blind?" England asked. "Have I gone blind before?" Italy looked like he was thinking hard.

"I… don't think so?" He said uncertainly.

"The pictures showed America holding up fingers, but England looks fine." I said, straining my memory. "His eyes don't look injured at all."

"Than how did he go blind?" Japan asked quietly. I shrugged.

"Why am I in a dress?" Canada asked, pure confusion on his face. I sniggered.

"I think that's already happened. Remember when we were in the piano room and Steve found us?" I prompted. Canada continued to look confused for a few moments before nodding.

"I remember. But I never wore a dress!" He protested.

"Blame the fans." Was my only response. England sighed.

"So we have vague ideas of what may or may not have already happened, and may or may not be true?" He asked. I nodded.

"Sorry I wasn't more help." I apologized. "I'll let everyone know if I remember anything important." It's funny, but the longer I stayed here the more my previous life… well, not lost importance. But sometimes it felt like my previous life was getting farther and farther away. I wasn't forgetting, but it seemed more like a distant memory.

When had this become more realistic? Before the mansion seemed almost like a bad dream. I had felt like I could wake up at any moment and continue on with my life. Had it been when I got hurt? When I had seen Italy hurt? When Romano and Spain had come? When the Nations had talked about getting out?

"Emma-kun?" A voice asked from behind me. Japan had placed his hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" I hadn't noticed, but I was shaking slowly.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." The other Nations had dispersed.

"You do not sound fine." Japan replied, sitting next to me. I sighed and nodded.

"I'm just stressed." I told him. He nodded and we sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Not really. Back at home I'd play the piano when I was stressed, but…" I trailed off. The only piano here was the white one, and that was in Steve territory. I shouldn't endanger people just to satisfy my own needs.

"We could bring you to the piano room." Japan suggested.

"But you could get hurt!" I protested. Japan gave me a firm look.

"You getting a panic attack would not help our situation, Emma-kun. If we bring several people, we should be able to stand up to Steve without anyone getting seriously wounded." He replied. I was about to protest again, but I selfishly held back. Playing the piano was familiar, and I needed that.

Japan seemed to take my silence as confirmation. "I'll gather a group, and then we can go." He decided, standing up. I nodded and stood up as well.

"I'll wait by the door." I told him.

* * *

Japan had rounded up Spain, Romano, and Prussia for the adventure. I could feel the disapproving look from China, who obviously thought this was a bad idea, on my back.

"So where is the piano room?" Romano asked.

"Upstairs." I told him. "Follow me."

We left the safe room and quickly went upstairs, glancing around nervously. Nothing happened on the way there, and I breathed a quiet sound of relief once we were inside. Spain and Prussia seemed to position themselves at the door, but it may have just been my imagination.

"So what are you going to play first?" Prussia asked. I shrugged.

"I usually play the classics when I'm stressed. My favorites are by Beethoven." I told him. "So… I guess I'll start with Fur Elise. Any objections?" Why was I self-conscious? I played in front of people all the time!

"Sure." Prussia said. I began to play, but one of the notes sounded off. I frowned.

"That's not right, but this was perfectly tuned before." I stood up from the bench and checked the inside of the piano.

"Something wrong?" Romano asked.

"Yeah, there's something in here." I replied. "Wait… got it!" I pulled out a piece of metal, frowning at it. "This wasn't here before." Everyone gathered around.

"What is it?" Spain asked.

"It… looks like a key." I decided. "Or at least part of one."

"Why would there be part of a key in the piano?" Japan asked, taking the key from me and examining it. Where had I seen part of a key before…?

"Got it!" I said triumphantly. Everyone looked at me. "It slipped my mind before, but I got half of a key earlier!"

"What?" Prussia asked. "Do you still have it?" I shook my head.

"I gave it to China." I told him. "But they look similar."

"Huh." He replied. "We should probably bring this back to the others." Everyone nodded and we started to leave, but Japan called us back.

"Wait. Emma-kun, are you done playing?" He asked. My eyes widened.

"Oh yeah! Um, do you mind waiting for me to play?" I asked. Spain nodded.

"Go ahead, Emma!" He replied. I sat back down at the piano and began again. I started with Fur Elise, then moved onto Canon in D, Ave Maria, and Arioso. As I played I could feel my shoulders relax as all of the tension I didn't realise I had melted away.

"Better now?" Japan asked quietly, and I nodded.

"Thanks." I replied. "Let's go." We left the room and went downstairs. At the bottom we saw Steve looking up at us.

"Aaaagh! What is that thing?!" Spain yelled.

"Scheiße!" Prussia cursed, moving in front of me. "Back up the stairs!" I turned to run, but there was another Steve at the top.

"What the fuck is that!" Romano yelled. Japan moved to defend the back of the group, drawing his weapon. Everyone got into defensive positions, with me in the center. Spain was with Prussia, and Romano was with Japan. Despite the situation I couldn't help feeling like grinning.

"I'd almost forgotten a normal reaction." I muttered.

"I thought you said there was only one!" Spain said.

"We've only seen one!" Prussia defended, going in for a strike.

"Emma-kun, run to the others as soon as you see an opening." Japan demanded. I nodded, before realizing that he couldn't see me.

"Okay." I said verbally. I eyed the Steve towards the bottom of the stairs.

"Now!" Spain yelled, and I dashed under Steve 1's arm. This caused the Steve to pause for a moment, and I heard the swish of Spain's battle axe. I glanced behind me to see Steve 1 forget about me and turn back to focus on Spain and Prussia. I stopped running, but my mind raced. This was the perfect opportunity to help them out, with minimal danger to myself. I crept up behind Steve 1, katana at the ready. He stepped back and I slashed at his Achilles Tendon. I cut through surprisingly easily, and Steve 1 collapsed. Spain and Prussia stared at me for a moment in shock.

"Run!" I yelled, and we all did so, trampling Steve 1. Steve 2 tried to follow us, but we were too fast. We ran into the bedroom before the safe room and slammed the door behind us. I collapsed back onto the bed.

" _Congratulations!"_ The voice whispered in my ear. I flinched. " _Congratulations! Congratulations!"_ God dammit, what is this voice?

"What were you thinking?!" Prussia demanded. I laid on my back, breathing heavily and staring at the ceiling.

"I can't believe that worked!" I finally said. "I helped!"

"You could've been killed!" Prussia replied angrily. I turned my head to look at him.

"But I wasn't !" I replied. "And so could you."

"We've all been trained to fight!" Prussia shot back.

"You were cornered!" I protested loudly.

"Please just calm down!" Japan interjected. The iron door opened and everyone's heads snapped to look at the person who emerged.

"I heard yelling." Russia said, smiling. "How was your trip?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello again! I've decided that you've waited long enough for this new chapter, and I have some bad news. I'm changing my update time to once per week. Sorry, but I've pretty much run out of prepared material (though I did write a new chapter today. Be proud of me!) so I need the extra time to write. This is my longest story so far, and I can almost see the end in sight. Anyways, this chapter is one of the ones I've been planning from the start! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Please just calm down!" Japan interjected. The iron door opened and everyone's heads snapped to look at the person who emerged._

 _"I heard yelling." Russia said, smiling. "How was your trip?"_

* * *

We held a quick meeting to go over the things Japan, Prussia, Spain, Romano, and I had discovered. The second key half we found fit perfectly with the one I had gotten from the goblin earlier, and we now had a new key. France frowned at it.

"I haven't seen any keyholes like this." He commented.

"The key is very… oddly shaped." England agreed. The key was shaped like a cylinder at one end, with some sort of symbol at the end. There was a different symbol just beneath the ring. They both looked Japanese.

"I do not recognize this one." Japan said, pointing to the symbol on the cylinder. "But this one looks like a family seal." His hand moved to the symbol near the ring. "I don't recognize the family though." We all sat in silence, processing the new information. I sighed loudly, getting everyone's attention.

"Is there nothing else we can do?" I asked the group.

"What do you mean?" Canada replied. I shrugged.

"It's just… Running after clues, fighting Steve… We need a way to break the pattern." I told everyone. "That's the same thing you've done before, right Italy?" Italy nodded frowning.

"But you're here, and so is Spain and Romano, so this is already different from the other timelines!" He tried to reassure me. I wasn't reassured.

"I know!" America announced. "We can form an alliance! Without any relation to how friendly- or otherwise- we are outside of the mansion, but with everyone who is here!" I held in a snicker. How… Nation-like.

"Sounds interesting!" Prussia grinned. "I approve!" Japan nodded.

"I agree with America-san. Let's do it." He glanced at Italy. "Did we form an alliance before?"

"Not as far as I know. I approve!" He replied. I opened my mouth to comment that I was not a Nation, but America got there first.

"I won't accept objections!" He said loudly. Well alright then. "After all that trouble, we should write it down in a document!" I grabbed my journal.

"Here." I said, flipping to the last page. "I'm not experienced in alliance making, but will this do?"

"That looks fine." China agreed.

"I'll write." I said. "What should it say?"

"Hmm…" Germany thought. "Well, first of all is to believe in each other. Help one another. Rely on one another. Also, escape together. That is all." I nodded. That shouldn't be hard. I wrote for a minute before reading out my work.

"We, by signing this document, do hereby agree to work together to achieve the goal of escaping the Mansion. We agree to help and rely on one another, and do our best to ensure the group's escape." I read out. "Does that sound good?" America grinned.

"Sounds great!" He exclaimed.

"I like it." Spain agreed. "So easy to understand. An alliance among Nations like that is pretty interesting!" I winced slightly at Nations, but let it go.

"Now we just have to sign it." England said.

"Can you wait for a moment?" Russia asked, staring at me.

"What is it?" China asked.

"Sorry to be the wet blanket, but this doesn't feel right. To arbitrarily form an alliance with so many Nations…" He said.

"And I'm a human. How would that work out?" I asked, a little surprised that they were taking this so seriously. Then again, they were used to signing world-changing treaties and important official documents. England frowned.

"But our signatures would only be valid in this house, correct? And the alliance states only that we're working together to get out of this house." He argued.

"But that's the problem. Who knows who could get our signatures once we get out of this house?" Russia counter argued.

"But I'll be looking after it!" I protested.

"That isn't enough. You're not going to be able to protect it at all times, will you?" Russia asked. I sighed and shook my head.

"I see. You do have a point." Germany agreed. "Even if we appear to be lacking some of our abilities as Nations, that doesn't change who we are."

"So we really can't make an alliance." Italy sighed.

"I'm sorry." Russia said genuinely. "I also want to form an alliance. But we have to think of our duties to our people." France agreed and Japan's shoulders slumped.

"To be human, eve only in this place…" He said sadly.

"Japan?" Italy asked as my mind raced. America hadn't reacted to me calling him Al earlier. Does this mean that they had no human names?

"Well…" I started. "Do you have to sign as Nations? Japan said that you were human here, so you could sign as humans!"

"As humans? What do you mean?" Prussia asked. Japan seemed to have caught on.

"We could sign this paper as the humans we are now. In other words…" He looked at me.

"You could come up with human names for yourselves and sign with those!" I finished. Canada nodded, also seeing what we were getting to.

"If anyone else sees it, they won't understand it, because it's not signed with Nation names!" He agreed.

"A human name, not Romano." Romano mused. "Sounds good. What do you think, Veneziano?"

"I approve!" Italy said happily. "If we do that we can all form an alliance!"  
"I'll be…" America started.

"Wait!" I interrupted. "I want to try something. Hima- that's the author of Hetalia- gave you all human names. I want to see if they match up with what you choose." I flipped the page so that I was writing on a new one. I quickly wrote down all the their Nation names, as well as their designated human names. "Okay, go." I said once I was finished. America nodded.

"You called me Al earlier…" He mused. "Al… Um… Alfred F. Jones sounds good!" He decided. I was a little surprised at how quickly he decided, but I put a star next to that name.

"Matthew Williams." Canada decided. I put a star next to that name as well.

"Wang Yao!" China said. I had written it in western style, so mine was Yao Wang, but I put a star there too.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt!" Prussia said. Another star. "How's that? Pretty awesome, huh?"

"Then I'll be Francis Bonnefoy." France agreed. Star number five.

"I think I'll be Ivan Braginsky." Russia decided. Another star.

"I'll be Antonio Fernández Carriedo!" Spain decided. I hadn't gotten the Fernández part, but everything else was good. Another star.

"Alright I got it! I'm Arthur Kirkland!" England announced.

"You've got it, Artie!" I replied cheerfully, drawing another star.

"It's Arthur, not Artie!" England ranted. "It's only been five seconds and you've already give me a horrendous nickname!"

"Yup!" America and I said together. England looked like he was refraining from bashing his head on the table.

"Then I'll be… Ludwig." Germany decided. "This is kind of awkward."

"And last name?" I asked, pen hovering over the name Ludwig Beilschmidt.

"Same as Pruss- Er, Gilbert's." He replied. I nodded and drew another star.

"Can I be… Lovino Vargas?" Romano asked. I nodded as I drew another star.

"Yup!" Italy agreed. "And I'll be… Feliciano! Feliciano Vargas!" Another star.

"Then I am… Honda Kiku." I had the same issue with Western vs Eastern as I did earlier, but put down the final star.

"Everything's the same." I confirmed. "I'll sign first, since I have the journal." I carefully wrote down my name just beneath the last sentence of the alliance. I then passed the journal to my left. Everyone signed the document, and the journal passed back to me. I laughed a little at the size of America's signature.

"Well that's certainly writing down your John Hancock." I told him. He grinned and we high-fived as everyone looked at us in confusion. "It's an American thing." I told them. They seemed to accept that.

"Well everyone signed, so the vow is absolute!" America announced. "Right, Kiku?" Japan looked confused for a moment as America looked at him.

"What? Oh- are you talking to me?" He asked. America nodded. "Then- Indeed. We must all abide by it, Arthur-san!" I snickered.

"America is Alfred, Kiku." I told him. "Artie is England."

"It's Arthur, not Artie!"

"O-oh! Gomenasai! My memory these days…" Japan apologized.

"And Germany was Lutz? Louis?" Italy asked. I snickered again. This sounded like it was going to be fun.

"Lutz!" Prussia laughed. "That's hilarious! It makes him sound like a completely different person! Right, Lutz?" This caused me to start laughing as well.

"Can you please stop smirking and taunting me?" Germany grumbled.

"N-No, Gil's right!" I agreed, still laughing. "Lutz is the name of your 2p!"

"What's a 2p?" France asked. I shook my head, laughter dying out.

"Nothing important. I'll tell you later." I replied.

"This is pretty awkward." Russia observed. "But I'm sure that we'll keep these names." Canada nodded.

"That's right. With this, even after we get out of this house, we can still continue to be bound together as humans." He said.

"Alright everyone, quiet please!" Japan said, clearing his throat. We all quieted down. "Looking over the document closely-"

"What is it now?" England grumbled, presumably still grumpy about the 'Artie' thing. "It's fine, isn't it?" He turned to France. "Your name is almost the same as your nation name." He commented.

"Be quiet, Alfred-san!" Japan said sharply.

"Arthur." I corrected. Prussia laughed harder.

"I'm surrounded by children." Germany sighed. Italy said something to him, and he relaxed. I smiled at everyone enjoying themselves. Prussia suddenly stopped laughing and winced.

"Prussia? Are you alright?" I asked.

"Ja, I'm fine." He reassured me. "Steve got a hit on me while we were fighting. Nothing's broken, but I think I bruised my ribs." I instantly felt bad for not noticing that Prussia was hurt.

"We should still check." I told him. "C'mon Gil, let's get you to the bathroom." I stood up, hauling Prussia up with me.

"I'm fine!" He protested. I gave him a stern look and pushed him into the bathroom. He sighed and went in to check out his ribs obediently. I turned back to the others, yawning.

"I'm exhausted." I told them. "What about you?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello again! I am currently writing two assignments for L.A. because I procrastinated all weekend. Also, I put a poll up on my page about who you think Emma's going to end up with! I already know, but I'm curious. I will also repeat that 2ptalia will not appear in the main story, though now that I look for it, I can see signs of possible 2p intervention. But I am sticking to my original ending! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"I'm fine!" He protested. I gave him a stern look and pushed him into the bathroom. He sighed and went in to check out his ribs obediently. I turned back to the others, yawning._

 _"I'm exhausted." I told them. "What about you?"_

* * *

"I could go for some sleep." America agreed.

"I need to rest as well." England added. We all turned to look at the beds. There were 13 of us, and only ten beds. That meant…

"I'm not sharing." Alfred and I said at the same time.

"Well _someone_ has to!" England replied.

"Well you had eleven people before. So how did that work?" Spain asked.

"Al and Mattie shared a bed." I told him. France smirked and opened his mouth to say something, but I glared at him.

"What? I didn't say anything!" He protested.

"You were going to." I replied.

"Either way, Ameri- Erm, Alfred and I have already shared, so it should be someone else's turn." Canada intervened.

"We could do siblings?" I suggested. "We have three pairs of siblings."

"I'm not sharing again!" America exclaimed.

"I don't want to share with my fratello either." Romano grumbled.

"Germany and I can share!" Italy offered. "We've slept together on the battlefield before, right Germany?"

"Nein!" Germany protested.

"Roma- Lovino and I could share!" Spain offered.

"Bullshit! Why does it have to be you? You're fucking kidding me!" Romano protested violently. Japan had slipped away.

"I don't see what the problem is, it's just sharing a bed!" I sighed.

"I certainly wouldn't mind." France agreed.

"If you're so sure, you share!" England told me angrily. I raised my hands.

"I have known all of you for less than a week!" I retorted. " _And_ you're all guys!"

"This is why I'm saying I should be with Germany…" Italy said.

"I object!" Germany objected.

"I'm telling you mine is open~ I would give Italy a warm welcome… physically." France purred.

"France!" I scolded. "I still think you should go with your family."

"But if it's to be together all the time-" Canada protested.

"If it were a… sister, I would be only a little reluctant, but with a brother…" England interrupted. My mind flashed to Nyotalia for a moment, but I shook it off. Now was not the time.

"Eww!" America whined childishly. "That would be torture! It's just too weird!" I rolled my eyes. Boys would be boys, even if the boy in question was hundreds of years old.

"I could do with just a blanket!" Spain suggested. "I could lay it over the table. It would make a perfect cot!"

"Huh? Cot?" Prussia asked. I hadn't noticed him arriving.

"We're trying to decide sleeping arrangements." I told him. "It isn't going well, as there aren't enough beds."

"Well, those bed's are pretty comfortable." Prussia agreed.

"It wouldn't be so bad if the smaller ones slept together, right?" Russia asked. "Japan, China, and Emma are all pretty small." He shot a look at China, but I couldn't see what it was from my angle.

"I'm not sleeping with anyone!" I protested again.

"Stop leaning over and peeking at me! It's making me uncomfortable!" China yelled. Japan had also gone very red in the face.

"Calm down everyone!" Germany yelled. "We can bring in more beds tomorrow. Can't you endure this for just one night?"

"Then I want a double bed!" Italy said happily. "Romano, let's sleep together! I've been through a lot of loops, so I haven't seen you in ages!" I frowned, thinking of Italy's nightmare. Was that why he was so eager to share? Romano seemed to realize that something was wrong as well, so he just grumbled.

"Oh, how unusual of you to give in, Romano~" France teased. I shot him a look, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I can sleep with Germany tonight, then!" Italy said, taking Romano's grumbling as a negative answer. "Then my fratello can have his bed all to himself! Oh, but Spain-" My shipping senses were tingling, but I ignored them. Shipping could wait until we were all safely out of the mansion.

"Wait a moment! Why do I have to sleep with you?" Germany protested.

"I'll sleep on the floor." Japan offered. "If I lay down a blanket, it will be just like a futon."

"Can't we all sleep on the floor?" Prussia asked. It went quiet for a moment as everyone contemplated this.

"We could, but it would be ungentlemanly to force a lady like Emma to sleep on the floor with us." France decided. I groaned.

"Since when am I a lady?" I asked. "This isn't the middle ages!"

"No, France is right." England agreed. "We can all sleep on the floor, and Emma can take one of the beds. Besides, we all have experience sleeping on the ground." I groaned again to show my displeasure, but didn't actively contradict him any more.

"Great! I can push the beds over to the wall, so Emma will have one big superbed!" America said cheerfully. "Hey Canada, come help!" He grabbed Canada's hand and they went together to push aside the beds. Everyone else dispersed.

"Stupid chivalry." I grumbled to myself. "I'm not a delicate flower. Singling me out just because I'm a girl. I can sleep on the floor too!" I was tired and grumpy. I glanced at the door. Germany had brought out some spare blankets, but there was a bedroom outside that had a fully functional bed with more blankets. I could get them just to spite everyone… somehow. Oh well, my tired brain doesn't need logic. I'm getting those blankets. I slipped out the door while everyone was busy and went outside to the bedroom. Snagging the comforter and the pillows, I turned and managed to stub my toe on the bed. I dropped the pillows and blankets and proceeded to hop on one foot while muttering swear words in every language I could think of. This caused me to trip on the blanket and falling into the bed.

Sighing, I glared up at the ceiling. This house was determined to kill me, one way or another.

* * *

Italy noticed that there was something wrong with Emma. She had gotten onto her bed with an extra blanket and pillows, cocooning herself in them, while everyone else settled on the floor.

"...It's like a training camp." Japan commented quietly from Italy's right.

"Beds are nice, but sleeping on the floor in a futon is fun too! It's a little cramped, though." America agreed.

"I can't wait for our party!" Spain said cheerfully. "Why, I think that there's so much I want to do I'll forget some of them. We should write them down!"

"I think that Emma's got it covered." America replied. "Right, Emma?" Emma made an affirmative noise, and Italy thought back to America's futon comment earlier. Was Emma lonely, sleeping on the beds?

"Hey, Veniziano." Romano said rolling in his blankets to look at Italy. "We'll really have to send Japan food before-" Italy ignored him and pretended like he was sleeping. He didn't feel like talking at the moment. "Oh, he's asleep."

"He must be tired." France told Romano. "He's finally got some relief. Let him sleep." France was wrong. Whenever Italy tried to fall asleep the dead faces of his friends came back to haunt him. So he stayed up instead, not wanting to bother Germany or the others. Eventually he would fall asleep from exhaustion. And while he was asleep, he was defenseless, and the memories were better at slipping away.

"Was he awake when I was keeping watch?" Prussia asked. Yes, Italy had been awake, if just barely.

"Probably." Germany replied. He knew Italy so well! "It must have been necessary to survive. Come to think of it, he woke fairly easily when Emma came to wake us." Italy slept fairly deeply for about an hour after he finally falls asleep, then sleeps very lightly.

"He must have learnt to sleep lightly." Japan said, lie he was reading Italy's thoughts. "To think that he was aware of Steve the entire time…"

"He occasionally appeared to be reading the bible- I mean, Journal. Do you think he wrote everything down like Emma?" Canada asked. No, he hadn't been that vigilant. He only wrote down the things that were important to survive, like what happened when.

"Maybe." Russia replied. "Do you think that he would let us read it?"

"Stop talking, I'm trying to sleep!" Emma whispered loudly. She sounded grumpy. "Good night." Everything fell silent after that.

* * *

Italy stayed awake for several hours, until he heard a small whimpering noise. He tensed, trying to locate the source of the sound. There was another. It came from the beds. Emma! Was she alright? Was she hurt somehow?

He slipped silently out of his blankets and went over to the beds. Emma was wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, her eyes screwed shut, shivering and hugging herself.

"...s-sorry…" She muttered. "...p-please, don't… don't be dead." Italy sat on the bed next to her. She had comforted him after a nightmare, maybe he could do the same?

"Emma, wake up." He said, patting her head. Emma shifted, but her eyes stayed shut.

"S-stop… don't hurt him… sorry." She whispered again.

"Emma!" Italy said, louder this time. "Wake up, it's just a dream!" He noticed that her eyes were wet before she bolted up. Italy hugged her, like she had hugged him after his nightmare. She flinched and tensed, but calmed down after a few moments.

"Italy?" She asked. "Feli?"

"Yup!" Italy replied cheerfully. "You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up! Are you okay?" Emma closed her eyes for a moment.

"Y-yeah, I'm good." She replied. "It was just a nightmare." They sat together for a moment.

"What was it about?" Italy asked. Emma didn't respond. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me! You just looked really really scared and I thought that talking about it would-"

"Steve." Emma said quietly, interrupting Italy. "I was dreaming about Steve. H-He was chasing me, so I ran into a r-room. B-But inside the room there was you, and Japan and Germany and Prussia and everyone, and there was a lot of blood." Emma was shaking slightly. "And I thought that you all were dead, and then Steve came in but he wasn't after me he was after _you_ and I couldn't move and I couldn't help and he was going to _hurt_ you and-" Emma stopped herself, taking a deep, rattling breath. "And I woke up." Italy hugged Emma tightly, trying to comfort her.

"We're fine, see?" He said, and Emma looked at the sleeping bodies of their friends. She nodded.

"Yeah." She replied quietly. "Thanks. I'm sorry for waking you up."

"I was already awake." Italy reassured her, thinking back to his nightmare. "It's fine, I promise." Emma nodded again and they stayed quiet as Emma's breath steadied.

"I'm good now." She said eventually. "You can go, if you want." Italy stood up and looked down at Emma.

"Are you sure?" He asked. She nodded and curled back up in her nest of blankets. Italy made his way back over to his blanket, shooting Emma another glance before settling back in. He listened to her breath as it slowed, and eventually she fell asleep.

"Italy-kun?" Japan asked quietly, almost too quietly for Italy to hear.

"Si?" Italy replied.

"Is Emma-kun alright?" Japan asked him in Japanese.

" **Yes, she's fine. Just a nightmare."** Italy replied in Italian.

"Alright. Goodnight, Italy-kun." Japan said.

 **"** ** **Goodnight."**** Italy said back, before falling asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello again! Holy shit... Chapter 25, which is half of 50, which is half of 100. 17,000 views, 19 reviews, 12 follows, 11 favorites, 78 pages in google docs. I started this (or at least made the document) on August 5th, 2015, published it on FanFiction October 11, 2015, and am now on chapter 13 in the game.**

 **Sentiment aside, I'm going to learn to drive soon. Also, I do not in any way shape or form approve of the mafia, which is mentioned in this chapter. Lots of world building here. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Is Emma-kun alright?" Japan asked him in Japanese._

 _" **Yes, she's fine. Just a nightmare."** Italy replied in Italian._

 _"Alright. Goodnight, Italy-kun." Japan said._

 _ **"** ** **Goodnight."**** Italy said back, before falling asleep._

* * *

Everyone made their own breakfast the next morning (Except England and I. I got someone to make something for me, and England was banned from the kitchen.), and we all met up for yet another meeting.

"Well then, now we can contact the outside world, so we also need someone to stay here. Something like a control tower." Japan sated.

"Incidentally, it seems like Steve also goes outside the mansion, so the Nations outside are in for a hard fight." Germany said. He had received a brief call from Austria just before the meeting. "Austria has informed us that they have dispersed and will take care of it all at once." He fixed everyone at the table with a firm glare. "A large portion of the world is gathered here, united. We can't fail them by dying now."

"What's our plan?" China asked.

"I want to search for the metal pieces." Italy replied. "I think that they also form a key of some sort. I hid one somewhere on the 2nd floor. Let's search for it and then go to the 4th floor."

"Oh! I remember that one." America exclaimed. "It's the one that you and I hid, right? I saw it when we broke the clock." England gaped at them.

"What the hell?" He asked. "You should have told us yesterday!"

"I have my reasons." America said solemnly. France frowned.

"Was someone going to die?" He asked softly. America nodded. "In that case, who can go get the metal piece?"

"I'll go, then. If you tell me where it is, I'll go get it alone." Spain offered. I frowned at him.

"No one goes outside this room alone." I said firmly, aware that I had gone out alone last night to get extra blankets. "I propose the buddy system."

"I'll go too." Romano offered. "What are the chances Steve's going to appear?"

"Pretty large, knowing him." I muttered quietly, so no one but me could hear. "I'll go too, since I'm also new to the time loops."

"No way." Prussia replied. "You're too-"

"Weak?" I asked. "I know. But we should have all of the people that we can if we now Steve's going to appear. Perhaps I'll get a lucky shot." He looked like he was going to argue further but Romano interrupted him.

"Bring it on. Never underestimate the country of the Mafia." He said. I looked at him curiously.

"You're in the Mafia?" I asked. Were those head cannons confirmed?

"Not exactly." Romano replied. "I keep watch on them, and curb them if they try anything too big." He said. I nodded thoughtfully.

"Huh. Carry on."

"I'm coming with you." Italy piped up. "If possible, we should go in few numbers."

"No more than four to a group." I agreed. Germany sighed.

"I'll work on getting more beds." He decided. "Emma, be ready to fetch the others at moment's notice. We'll come straight away."

"Five people would be too much." Russia sighed. "All right. We'll be ready to leave right away. Prussia, can you get in touch with the outside?" Prussia nodded.

"England, Canada, you'll help me." He ordered. America turned to my group.

"The piece is in the room opposite to the fireplace room. I'll be under the carpet." He told us. Italy saluted.

"Got it sir!" He said. I mimicked him.

"We're off, sir!" I agreed. We stood up to leave.

"Be careful, Emma-kun." Japan said quietly. I grinned at him.

"Of course!"

~Insert line here, but not a chapter end~

We made it to the room without any trouble.

"Alfred said that it was under the carpet." I said, looking down. "So we should look for any lumps." We spread out to examine the carpet and the piece was quickly found by Italy.

"I hid it here…" He said, kneeling down next to the edge of the carpet. "I don't remember that at all."

"Hey Veneziano, where's Steve going to come from?" Romano asked.

"I would assume the door." I replied sarcastically.

"Umm…" Italy said as Steve suddenly fell to the ground from above. "Not exactly." He was huge! Romano drew his gun and moved back slightly. Spain hefted his battle axe. Italy raised his book. I drew my katana. Steve charged.

Spain met his first blow with his axe and I slashed my sword under the bottom of Steve's arm, drawing a little blood. We all dodged his second attack and Romano shot him in the arm. Italy brought down his book on one of Steve's fingers expertly, and I heard a crunch. Italy was much stronger that he looked.

We continued like this until Romano got a shot right between the eyes, and Giant Steve disappeared.

"What the fuck?" I asked, panting.

"I thought that it was going to come through the door, not from above!" Spain said. "How did it even do that?"

"Sorry. He'll drop from above!" Italy warned us. I held my sleeve up to my cheek, which had gained a cut during the fight.

"Now it's too late! You should have said that before Steve appeared, you bastard!" Romano raged. "Anyways, let's go to the 4th floor, quickly." He made his way over to the door. Italy scurried after them.

"I said I was sorry!" He protested. "Oh, don't go ahead on your own! It's dangerous! Remember the buddy rule?" Spain and I glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed the Italians to the fourth floor.

* * *

As we got to the top of the stairs on the fourth floor, I tried to remember what was up here. There was the lever room and… the mochi! I should check on it, poor thing.

"This way!" I said, leading everyone into the mochi room.

"Woah! What's that?" Span asked, looking at the mochi with wide eyes.

"It's a mochi! America mochi, to be specific." I replied.

"Was it here before?" Italy wondered. I nodded.

"He's been in here since before you came in on this round!" I told him. "That was all I saw before getting sucked into the game. But we can't get him out…" I knelt down and patted America mochi on the head, avoiding the cowlick. There was suddenly a loud growling sound and I jerked away.

"Gah!" I exclaimed.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt, bella?" Romano asked.

"I'm fine." I replied. "But I think that sound came from the mochi!"

"What? That sound- Maybe it's hungry?" Spain asked. I was tempted to make a Hungary pun, but I decided to save it for later. "Why don't we feed it?" There was another loud grumbling.

"Hungry? Does that sound like a rumbling stomach to you?" Romano demanded.

"It looks kinda painful…" Italy said, examining the mochi. "Do you think it's hungry? Maybe it'll come out if we feed it? Oh, but I don't have any food…"

"We should feed it! It's been starving here for days!" I told him. "Call the others, and get them to bring some food."

"You still think it's hungry?" Romano asked. "I can't believe this… That mochi does not sound like it's hungry… isn't a mochi some sore of Japanese food?" He grumbled. I nodded, but didn't provide any further details on the subject. Italy called Japan and put him on speaker.

"Hello? Japan speaking." Japan said.

"Oh, that was fast, Japan! Listen, I want you to bring some food. There's a weird creature-" Italy started.

"Mochi!" I cut in.

"-on the fourth floor, and we're going to try luring it out with food." Italy finished.

"Huh?" Japan sounded confused. "I don't really… understand, but all I have to do is bring you some food, right? We're on our way."

"I think it eats lettuce!" I said, but Japan ended the call before I got all of the way through my sentence. I turned to Italy. "You sounded happy."

"Hm?" Italy asked. "Oh, well… yeah. I mean, it looks like we're going to get out for real soon. It's like a dream! I'm so happy, like you wouldn't believe!" I grinned at him.

"Really? You think that we'll get out soon?" I asked.

"Mmhm!" He replied. "We're all going to get out together!"

"And then we'll have a party at Japan's house!" I told him. He nodded and we settled into a comfortable silence while we waited for the others. I sat on the fancy chair next to the mochi. The door opened and we all tensed.

"Sorry it took so long to come." Japan said as he opened the door.  
"It's fine!" I told him. Romano looked at the bag of food that they brought.

"Wow, you sure brought a lot." He commented dryly. "We just needed something to tempt it with."

"I also found a clock!" Spain piped up. I glanced at him in surprise to see that he was indeed holding a clock. "You were looking for these, right?"

"Yeah, we need to break them!" America told him.

"It doesn't matter that much." Italy said. "We're going to get out soon, so we don't need memories from the past any more. And Austria and the others are taking care of things outside." No one replied for a moment.

"Germany? What's that matter?" America asked. I looked at Germany to see that Germany had an odd look on his face.

"Nothing, I was just wondering…" He said. "Why don't I see any memories from the past? Isn't that odd? I've been here before, so I'm not like Emma…"

"Oh, right." Italy agreed. "I've always wondered about that. America said that the memories were just forgotten, but they hadn't disappeared. So, you should still have them, Germany."

"Maybe they're being passed on?" Romano asked.

"Passed on?" Prussia repeated.

"What I mean is, maybe Potato Head is the same as Veneziano?" Romano explained. "Some of Veneziano's memories were passed onto me and we shared them."

"Because of being two halves of one unified country?" I asked. Romano nodded. I glanced at Prussia. "Then… Are his memories going to you, Prussia?"

"I havn't got any of West's memories." He replied, a little coldly. I winced. He was probably still sore about his dissolution during WWII.

"You're a little different…" England said uncomfortably. Hadn't he been one of the countries that signed? Well, I suppose most of the people- Nations, whatever- here signed, as part of the Axis and Allies.

I sighed. "But who could be stealing his memories?"

"Not a clue." England sighed. "There are a surprisingly small amount of countries with two personifications. So far we haven't figured out why some areas, like the Italy brothers, are considered diverse enough to need two personifications while other diverse nations, like America, aren't." I thought on that load of information for a minute.

"So basically," I decided. "Hima's country rules are a load of indiscernible bullshit." America snickered at that.

"Hima?" Spain asked.

"The author of Hetalia." I told him.

"Anyways, I don't feel comfortable with someone else having my memories." Germany said.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello again! This is a long chapter... Did a little research about the amount of electricity a body can take for this chapter. Let me know if any of it is wrong! I also found out that so far I've been averaging 1800 words per chapter. I usually try to write 1000-2000 words per chapter, so I think that's pretty awesome. Hope you enjoy!  
**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"So basically," I decided. "Hima's country rules are a load of indiscernible bullshit." America snickered at that._

 _"Hima?" Spain asked._

 _"The author of Hetalia." I told him._

 _"Anyways, I don't feel comfortable with someone else having my memories." Germany said._

* * *

"It's not like you can do anything about it." I told him. "Now let's go feed that mochi! Did you bring the lettuce?" Japan shook his head.

"We do have some other foods though." He emptied the bag and tried to offer the mochi food while the other Nations wandered around the room.

"He won't eat!" I complained, holding up an offering of blueberries. "I'm pretty sure they can eat, from the show, but this one just doesn't want to!"

"Since we went through the trouble of bringing it food, should we force it?" Japan asked. I sighed.

"Sure. But first, did anyone bring any other food?" I asked the room.

"I've got some wilted lettuce in my pocket!" America offered, holding out the lettuce. I grabbed it.

"Why didn't you tell us before! I know that I asked you if you had lettuce!" I complained.

"I didn't know then!" America protested. I held out the piece of wilted cabbage to the mochi. It squeaked softly and moved out of the hole to nibble on the cabbage. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Italy and France finished their conversation. I was pretty sure that they had been talking about Holy Rome, so I didn't intervene.

America mochi nudged my hand, looking for more cabbage. "Awww!" I cooed, scooping it up in my arms. "You're so soft and adorable!" Japan looked mildly uncomfortable.

"...Shall we inset the metal piece?" He asked. "America-san, could you please help me?" I moved out of the way so that they could work, still cuddling America mochi.

"It radiates such an aura of intelligence!" America said, patting the mochi's head.

"America-san." Japan said dryly. America gave a long, dramatic sigh and went to help Japan. I wasn't able to see exactly what they were doing, but there was a loud rumble a minute later.

"What-!" Prussia exclaimed in surprise.

"Wh-What was that?" Romano asked.

"I'll go check it out." China said. Check what out?

"Me too." Spain agreed. They left. I hugged the mochi close until it squeaked uncomfortably. Setting it down, I turned to Japan.

"I-I wonder what that was…" I said. "Aren't earthquakes common in Japan?"

"I think that it came from the hallway." Russia said helpfully. Suddenly, there was a yell from the aforementioned hallway.

"Hey, you guys, come here now!" China's voice called. Italy smiled at us, which calmed me down somewhat.

"Let's go!" He said cheerfully. "We'll soon reach the exit. Oh um… Don't be alarmed." Nope, calm has left.

* * *

We saw what had happened as soon as we left the room.

"There's another flight of stairs… Shall we go up?" Japan observed. There was indeed another set of stairs right outside the door, where a wall used to be.

"Holy shit." Romano said. We all began to ascend the stairs.

* * *

When we came into the room I screamed. Shocked gasps came from the Nations as they looked around the room. There were huge splotches of blood everywhere, and some looked like huge hand prints. I couldn't stop staring at them, and I began to hyperventilate.

"...ma….Em...Emma!" A voice called. I blinked my eyes as Japan stepped into my vision. "Emma, look at me." He said calmly. Somewhere in the back of my mind I acknowledged that there was no honorific attached to my name.

"J-J…" I stuttered. "I-I… T-There's…" He looked like he was having an internal debate for a moment, before placing his hands gingerly on my shoulders.

"We're fine. You're fine. It's not ours." He said quietly. I nodded.

"I… I'm good." I said quietly after a few minutes. "I'm good now." I wasn't good and I'm pretty sure that everyone could see that, with the way I was shaking. Thankfully they didn't push me any farther.

"We need to keep going." Italy said quietly. I nodded and moved towards the door at the other end of the room.

The next room wasn't much better. I finally found out where the bloody numbers I saw in fan arts came from. Painted on the floor were twelve numbers, positioned like a clock, with a giant blue button in the center.. Japan gently grabbed my hand and squeezed, and I closed my eyes to stop looking at the blood on the floor. I was fine. We were fine. That's not our blood.

Like that made it any better. That much blood had to come from somewhere, right? It could be from Steve's past victims, or past versions of the Nations, or even from Steve himself! I sincerely hoped that it was the latter.

"This is real blood." America said quietly. "And with the hand prints on the entrance, this has to be the worst room ever." I let out a soft breath that I hadn't known I'd been holding. My eyes opened again, and I forced a small smile on my face.

"No objections here." I replied, and I could feel Japan's hand relaxing in mine. Everyone spread out to observe the horror that was this room. Japan and I's hands stayed firmly locked together, and he lead me to talk to the others.

Russia was standing in the left hand corner closer to the door. "I know it sounds odd coming from me, but this room is a little creepy." He observed.

"Especially since it doesn't seem to lead anywhere." Japan agreed. I quickly scanned the room to see that there were no other exits than the door we entered through. I also noticed that it was slightly cold.

"By the way, have you seen the paper on the wall? I haven't gotten the chance to look at it yet." Russia added.

"No, not yet. Would you like to come and look at it with us?" Japan asked politely. Russia shook his head and Japan lead us to our next destination.

The paper was right behind the 12. It was a picture of a full moon with a thick, red X over it.

"There's an X marked in blood on the moon." Japan observed.

"Yes, I can see that." I remarked dryly. "But what does it mean?"

"So you've seen it." Canada said, ninja-ing behind us. "Should we call everyone together to figure it out?" Japan nodded, and soon we were all paying attention to the center of the room.

"So there's an X on the moon." Japan told everyone. "And then there's the numbers on the floor. Are they representing a clock? If we assume so, then the clues that we have are an X on the moon and a clock."

"Does that mean… A time when the moon doesn't show up?" Russia asked. I shrugged, having no idea how to solve the problem.

"Hmm, right. But that's too broad. Maybe something to do with the seasons?" Germany offered.

"Maybe the moon tonight- no, no." England mused. "That changes too much. Dammit. Our past selves did solve this, right?" He asked Italy.

"Hmm… yeah, sort of." Italy agreed.

"Are we going to ignore the giant blue button?" I asked. America stepped forward to press it.

"Oh! Ameri-" Italy started to warn him, but it was too late.

"Ow!" Prussia yelled.

Shit!" I yelled with him. We had been simultaneously shocked, along with most of the others.

"America! Be a little more careful when you do anything!" China scolded.

"Sorry! My fault, totally my fault." America replied, backing away from the button.

"So if we don't solve it, we take a hit." Romano said, rubbing his arms. "That fucking hurts, you bastard!"

"Hm? France, you don't look like you're in much pain. Did you enjoy it?" Spain asked, wiggling his eyebrows comically. I paled slightly, trying to ignore the innuendo in that statement.

"Well, if a lady or gentleman wants me to-" France started, smirking. I coughed loudly. "I mean, it didn't hurt me that much. It was just static electricity. I frowned. It certainly didn't _feel_ like 'just static electricity' to me!

"Oh, France is standing on one of the numbers…" Canada observed. "That means… Maybe we have to stand on the numbers and press the switch?"

"But there's thirteen of us and one switch!" I protested.

"That means that there's enough for all of the numbers to be occupied and one person to press the switch." Germany replied. I nodded, and we all moved to numbers.

"Wait, who should be the one left off?" Romano asked.

"Well, the shocks are probably less than ten milliamps." Russia started. "Due to them giving us a painful shock, but we didn't lose muscle control. The amount of muscle a person has also can affect this. People with less muscle are more susceptible." I gave him a wary look.

"You have a disturbing amount of knowledge on this topic." I told him. He smiled at me creepily.

"You don't want to know." Prussia told me seriously. I nodded.

"I think that either America or Russia has the most muscles." I decided. "So we should have one of them push the button.

"I'll do it!" America volunteered. "After all, it's the hero's job to protect people!" I rolled my eyes fondly at my dorky Nation, but made my way to the bloody seven. I was careful to step directly on the blood, as disturbing as it was. No point in taking any chances, with my low muscle mass.

"Ve, by the way, Japan can solve this!" Italy said. "I mean, if it weren't for Japan, maybe we wouldn't have solved it…"

"Well we are in Japan. So perhaps it is something specific to Japanese culture?" I asked. Japan inhaled sharply as an idea came to him.

"The Japanese lunar calendar, perhaps?" He asked. "The first month is Mutsuki, the second month is Kisaragi. And the third month is Yayoi…" He thought for a moment, muttering to himself. Everything went completely over my head, but he seemed to figure it out a few minutes later. "Ah! It doesn't have the kanji for 'tsuki' inside! And 'tsuki' or 'zuki' means 'moon' in japanese!" Yup, waaay over my head. I suppose you could say that it was so far over my head it was practically hitting the moon.

"I see. So, Big Brother France will step off number three." France said, moving cautiously off his number.

"So is it just France who has to move?" Prussia asked.

"Oh, er, also the twelfth month, Shiwasu. It's not written with the kanji 'tsuki' or 'zuki'." He said. Italy looked hesitant, but nodded and stepped away. America pressed the button. Moments before Canada opened his mouth to say something, but it didn't stop America. We were all shocked, and I yelled. It might have just been because I had been recently shocked, but it felt worse this time. My hands were shaking. Stupid low muscle mass…

"Stop!" Canada yelled too late.

"What's wrong? Why didn't it work?" Spain asked.

"The first shock might have been more of a warning." Russia said to himself. "To get us on the right path. Now the punishment for failing is more severe, probably 10-15 milliamps."

"It's the other way around!" Canada said. "It's not that three and twelve are the numbers we don't step on; 3 and 2 are the numbers we have to step on! Because… um…"

"Oh! Because there were fewer of us before!" Prussia realized. Canada smiled and nodded.  
"This way, we could've solved the puzzle even if only three of us pressed the button, since we would have two on the numbers and one to press the switch!" Russia agreed. He seemed to be enjoying this slightly. Perhaps he liked a good puzzle?

"I don't want to think about that, but you're right. Everyone off their numbers except France and Italy." He said. We did so, and I tried to control my trembling hands. America pressed the button and there was a bright light. I prepared for the shock but it never came.

"Oh, a door appeared." Japan observed. An old white door with chipped paint had appeared in the upper left hand corner of the room. I shuddered at its appearance. It was times like these that I remembered that I was in a horror game.

"Let's go ahead!" America said happily, making his way to the door.

"Wait!" Italy protested. "I didn't tell you the answer for this room, but we need to take this more seriously now. In the last room, there'll be a key hanging on the wall. That's the key to the front door. As soon as we get it, you have to run. A monster will come after us, so just run to the front door."

"A monster other than Steve?" I asked. Italy frowned, thinking.

"Not exactly. It's more like a big grey blob, with lots of eyes and a big scary mouth. It's really hard to hurt, but it's also the slowest." He explained. I shuddered, but nodded. I could do this.


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello again! Bleck, I just wrote this. Serves me right for putting off all of my homework to the last minute. I had some trouble deciding which story to go with, but I decided that I wanted to show Emma *Spoilers* *Spoilers* a dead Italy. Get her to realize the full extent of her mortality. *Spoilers over.* But yeah, life. I dragged my entire family into a hunt for orange tea. Didn't find any. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"A monster other than Steve?" I asked. Italy frowned, thinking._

 _"Not exactly. It's more like a big grey blob, with lots of eyes and a big scary mouth. It's really hard to hurt, but it's also the slowest." He explained. I shuddered, but nodded. I could do this_.

* * *

I couldn't do this. This room was split in half by bars, and on the other side was a bunch of Steves. There were normal ones, giant ones, and weird deformed flying ones with spikes.

"Ugh! What the hell is this place?" Prussia asked.

"There are so many…" China said quietly. If we had trouble facing just two of these things, how could we face an entire hoard?!

"L-Let's just go ahead. They won't come out of the cell… I think." Italy said.

"R-Right. Besides, with so many enemies we would be…" Japan trailed off. "No, I'd rather not think about that." We moved quickly to the door at the other end of the room, and I did my best not to look at them.

The next room contained even more bloody numbers. I finally began to understand the fandom's obsession with them. They covered the floor, and I was finally able to see the Steve Italy had described as 'a big grey blob'.

"Ugh… This room is also quite-" Japan shuddered.

"Disturbing?" I said helpfully.

"Behind it! The key is on that wall!" Italy announced. Blob Steve stayed still as we all tensed, preparing for a fight.

"Isn't it going to… attack us?" Russia asked.

"It will if we get close to it, but it's incredibly slow. We can get away from it just by walking. I'll go get it." Italy explained. He started walking away, but I was right behind him.

"Hey! Buddy rule, remember?" I scolded him. "I can distract it while you run. It's really slow, so we should both be safe."

"No-" Germany grumbled. Blob Steve began to come towards us at walking speed.

"That's really not necessary Em-" Italy stopped dead as the Blob Steve moved far enough away to see the back wall. It didn't have anything on it. "What…?"

"H-Hey, Italy! There's no key!" France called. Blob Steve was almost on us, so I pulled Italy back slightly. He was shaking, but I felt surprisingly calm.

"Oh, God… Why? It was always… It was always there before!" He panicked.

"Italy, calm down!" I said, pulling him back towards the group.

"I'm sure… this is the right place… W-What am I going to do?" Italy continued.

"Well not panicking would be a good start." I said. America and Russia went to attack Blob Steve as I pulled Italy back into the group.

"W-What am I going to do? Did I… do something wrong?" Italy said. "The key- There's no key!"

"No you did fine, Italy." I told him as others joined the fight against Blob Steve. The room shook.

"What is it this time?" Prussia groaned. He hadn't joined the fight yet.

"Up there!" Romano yelled. I looked up to see various Steves fall from the ceiling. I drew my katana and prepared for a fight. Japan, Italy, Prussia and I teamed up to take down two of the regular Steves first. From what I could see there were four types, Regular Steve, Giant Steve, Flying Steve, and Blob Steve. I had trouble taking down a regular Steve, and could barely take down a Giant Steve with help. Regular Steve and Flying Steve seemed to be the fastest of the Steves.

"There are too many!" I heard Canada yell through the confusion. I was surprised for a moment at how loud he was, before I dodged another swipe from a Giant Steve.

"We should surround Italy! They seem to be going after him!" China yelled. I was already fighting with him, but other than that the closest ones were Germany and America.

"Make me- make me disappear somewhere!" Italy yelled desperately. I bright purple light started to come from him- no, his journal- and I instinctively grabbed him.

"Italy! Let go of the journal!" Germany yelled. I pulled us to duck beneath another attempted hit.

"Emma!" Someone yelled. The light flared again, except this time it was more golden. After that, there was nothing.

* * *

"..ma. Emma, get up!" A voice hissed in my ear. I reluctantly opened my eyes to look into the baby blue eyes of America.

"I have passed out way too much." I decided. "What happened this time?"

"I think Italy's book transported us somehow." America replied. "We're not in the same room as before." I frowned at his words. Sitting up, I saw that we were in the big library on the third floor.

"We should be careful." I told him. "The last time I woke up in a different place than I was knocked out in… it turned out to be another dimension." America nodded seriously.

"Italy was holding the book, right? So he might be here too, but I don't see him." I contemplated that. Why had we been separated?

"Do you think we should look for him?" I asked. America nodded.

"Steve's been going after him, so he may be in trouble. But, as you said, we need to be careful." He instructed. "Let's go."

We left the library and sneaked down the stairs. There were shouts coming from the room across from the stairs, where Italy had been injured earlier. I pointed to it, silently asking if we should go inside. America nodded, and we made our way to the door. Suddenly, America's voice yelled from inside. We froze.

"What should we do?" I mouthed. America jerked his thumb behind us, which I took as a signal for 'get the hell out of here'. I nodded back at him, and we carefully made our way out the door and to the bedroom before the safe room. Except the safe room was back to just being a curtain. America flopped down on the bed and I started to pace.

"That was you!" I exclaimed quietly. "But- You're here! How can you be here and there?!"

"We already knew that time travel was involved." America said seriously. "Now we just need to lay low and not mess up this timeline. That would be very, very bad."

"How do you know so much about time travel?" I asked, trying to not freak out any more than I already was.

"England." America sighed. "He has made me watch every single episode of Doctor Who several times. But even I know better than to mess with time travel." I nodded.

"But how are we supposed to get ba-" I started, but I was interrupted by the door opening and Germany rushing in, soon followed by Italy.

"Emma?" Germany asked, surprised. "America?"  
"Germany saw me!" Italy panicked.

"This timeline's Germany?" America asked, sitting up on the bed.

"Calm down!" Germany- Ludwig Germany, not this timeline's Germany, because he wasn't here- said to Italy.

"We have to hide!" Italy said, glancing around the room. "Germany came after me!" America immediately rolled under the bed. I took a second to admire his ninja skills before panicking once more.

"Come on, let's hide in the curtain!" Germany ordered.

"There isn't enough room for all three of us!" Italy replied. "There's barely enough room for you in there!"

"But-" Germany started.

"You go! It'll be worse if there's two of him in the room!" I told him. He nodded and went to hide in the curtain.

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath. "Where can we-" The door opened again, revealing an identical copy of Germany.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello again! Whew, this is a roller coaster of emotions, as well as a bit of Emma's past and some friendly America/Emma. Just to be clear, I do not mean to offend anyone's religion in this. I'm afraid that any knowledge of heaven or angels comes from Supernatural.**

 **Also, thank you for all of the favorites and follows! I'm almost a little intimidated. So much responsibility! I'm thinking of writing a quick summary chapter next weekend, which happens to be four days. I'm going to do it in HetaOni style, with the character's narrating. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"You go! It'll be worse if there's two of him in the room!" I told him. He nodded and went to hide in the curtain._

 _"Shit!" I cursed under my breath. "Where can we-" The door opened again, revealing an identical copy of Germany._

* * *

"I-Italy?" Germany asked, seeming to not have noticed me. I froze, as if any movement on my part would alert him to my presence. "T-Thank God… I thought you were… dead… It was just… a dream." He was panting. It looked like he had run after Italy.

"No, I-" Italy started. I remained frozen, but my eyes slid to America, who was under the bed.

"Just go with it!" He mouthed.

"Yes… you couldn't… possibly die…" Germany muttered to himself, touching Italy's face reverently. As much as I enjoyed watching my OTP come to life, I wish they had picked a better time. "It was just a dream… Isn't that right, Italy?" His voice became harsher at the end, and the hand on Italy's face clenched.

"Ow! Wait, Germany! Listen to me!" Italy protested. I unconsciously frowned, wanting to go to Italy's defence. But for now, I could only hope that Germany was to immersed in his grief to notice me right beside him.

"Yes, that's right. I did find it odd that someone useless like you…" Germany laughed darkly. "Everyone thought you were dead."

"Germany." Italy said softly, moving Germany's hand away from his face.

"Everyone thought you were dead. Prussia, Japan… everyone." Now Germany just looked desperate. "Isn't that odd?" Italy sighed, but Germany continued.

"Let's go back, Italy. We have to prove to them that you're alive." Germany grabbed Italy's hand. "Come on, let's go back, okay?" His voice… it was heartbreaking.

"Germany." Italy tried again.

"Let's go back, Italy. We promised, remember? You promised that you'd wait for me, and I promised I would come back." Germany said. What… Oh. Holy Rome.

Italy looked surprised for a moment, before pulling his hand back and slapping Germany. I stifled a gasp.

"I-Italy?" Germany asked in shock.

"Hold on Germany! You're not like that! You wouldn't say things like that!" Italy said loudly. I guess Holy Rome was still a sore spot for him. "Y-You're ridiculously serious! You only do what manuals say, a-and you raise dogs, and you're buff, and your hobby is making sweets-" Italy stopped himself mid ramble. "That's the Germany I know! He's not that weak!" I felt like I was watching some romantic movie. My eyes flickered to America again, who looked as confused as I felt. Italy was breathing heavily with rage.

"You…" Germany said softly. "You did die." Well, I'm glad that's settled.

"Yes." Italy agreed.

"I see." Germany said, his eyes finally sliding to me. "I'm sorry. I'm pathetic. I couldn't even let your soul rest in peace." He turned towards me. "Are you his Angel?"

...What? In what universe was I considered an Angel?

This one, apparently. This could work in my favor. Like America mouthed to me earlier, just go with it.

"Yes." I agreed, in my most serious voice. "It is his time." Was that something an angel would say?

"Germany." Italy interrupted. "I just wanted to protect everyone." Germany nodded.

"I promised." He said quietly. Was he still going on about his promise as Holy Rome? "Bed's for everyone. A large table. A kitchen… and what else?" Okay, now I'm lost.

"Oh, well…" Italy stalled.

"It'll take me some time, but I want you to wait. I'll definitely keep my promise to our friends." Italy seemed to understand.

"Ve! It's a promise!" He replied, saluting Germany. Oh! The safe room! Was he talking about that?

"Idiot." Germany said fondly. "You have to use your right hand." Germany looked at me again respectfully. "I will go join the others now. They'll be getting worried."

"I will take him to Heaven." I told him, still using my serious angel voice. "He is finished on Earth." Germany turned to leave, and I got an idea.

"Your room." I told him. He paused. "Should be behind the curtain in this room. You may begin after we have gone to Heaven. For now, join your friends." I hoped that was a good enough hint. Germany nodded and left. We stayed quiet as his footsteps walked away.

"Phew!" Italy let out a big breath. I followed his lead. "What a scare! I almost had a heart attack!"

"Please don't." I groaned. "We already have enough on our plates."

"Thank God!" Italy continued. I snickered. Him thanking God after I was accidentally mistaken for an angel had a special kind of irony. "Germany, America, you can come out now! Wow, scolded by me then hit by Prussia... Talk about adding insult to injury!" When was Germany hit by Prussia?

America rolled out from under the bed. My hands were shaking from adrenalin. America grinned and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Good job Em!" He said cheerfully. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Em?" America grinned even wider, if that was possible.

"Well, yeah! You gave me a nickname, so I might as well give you one in return!" I opened my mouth to protest, but I paused before anything came out. I could have worse nicknames.

"Em." I said. It sounded weird coming from me. "Alright." We glanced over to the other two. Italy seemed to be comforting Germany about his apparent weakness.

"Let's leave the two lovebirds to themselves." I decided. America nodded and turned back to me.

"So… I hear you're an angel now." He smirked. I groaned.

"His words, not mine. I'm just glad it worked!" I said. "And that he was grieving enough to mistake me for one."

"Oh, I don't know. I might have to start calling you angel now." America teased. I rolled my eyes at his antics.

"Please don't. It sounds like you're flirting with me." I told him. he waggled his eyebrows at me.

"So what if I am?" My mouth opened slightly in shock. I was sort of flattered, but I only saw him platonically. He started laughing and I saw that he wasn't serious.

"Hey!" I protested. "Rude." This only served to increase his laughter as I sent an over exaggerated pout in his direction. I huffed and waited for his laughter to stop. Italy and Germany came over to us.

"I'm going to see this timeline's Italy. Do you two want to come with us?" Germany asked solemnly. America shook his head.

"I think I'll stay. Emma?" I thought for a moment. Did I really want to see a dead body? Then again, I felt like I had to pay my respects to this timeline's Italy somehow, even if I didn't know him yet.

"Are you okay with it Germany?" I decided. I didn't want to intrude.

"Ja, I'm fine." He replied. "Let's go. We'll meet you two back here in a few minutes." America and Italy nodded, and we left the room.

* * *

"This way." Germany directed, pointing down the hall.

"I know." I replied. "America and I heard the fighting." The rest of the short trip was made in silence as I mentally prepared myself to look at a dead body. I'd only seen one before… no. I should keep my mind on the present, not the past. And in the present I was about to see my friend's dead body.

Germany paused, his hand on the doorknob. "Ready?" I nodded, and he opened the door. Inside, Italy's body was laid on a table. there were flowers in his hands. Where did they get those?

I spotted an empty vase on the bookshelf. Oh. Who knew that Steve was such a good housekeeper. Scratch that, Japan and I knew from the start, when I asked if they were a cleaning service…

I took a deep breath and refocused. My mind was moving away from the body in front of me. Germany had moved closer, but I stayed a bit further behind. He was murmuring to himself, and I thought that he might need a moment alone.

"...Until then, rest in peace, Italy." Germany finished. I finally moved beside him.

"Hi." I said to Italy's body. "You don't know me yet, but you will. Your brother and Spain are going to come as well. It might take a while, but… anyways. I'm sorry that it'll take so long. I know it's not my fault but… I'll get you out. I promise. When Romano, and Spain, and I come, things will change. We'll get you out of the loops or… well, I suppose 'die trying' isn't the best thing to say here." I sighed deeply. "So yeah. I'm not the best at these, but to be fair I've only done one before. My dad, and my stepmom, and my unborn stepbrother. They were in a car accident. Drunk driving." I took a deep breath. "Sorry, I'll finish up. I hope that your next loop doesn't have that many people dying. I think that's the best I can do at the moment." I reached over and touched Italy's hand before turning away. "Let's go."


	29. Chapter 29

**Hello again! This chapter concludes the time traveling section of the story. We're getting closer and closer to the end, but we'll go over that bridge when we get there. Sorry about the lateness, I have a Spanish project and an L.A. project to do. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Hi." I said to Italy's body. "You don't know me yet, but you will. Your brother and Spain are going to come as well. It might take a while, but… anyways. I'm sorry that it'll take so long. I know it's not my fault but… I'll get you out. I promise. When Romano, and Spain, and I come, things will change. We'll get you out of the loops or… well, I suppose 'die trying' isn't the best thing to say here." I sighed deeply. "So yeah. I'm not the best at these, but to be fair I've only done one before. My dad, and my stepmom, and my unborn stepbrother. They were in a car accident. Drunk driving." I took a deep breath. "Sorry, I'll finish up. I hope that your next loop doesn't have that many people dying. I think that's the best I can do at the moment." I reached over and touched Italy's hand before turning away. "Let's go."_

* * *

We came back to find America and Italy waiting outside in the hall. I hugged Italy quickly, still shaken from seeing his corpse. He patted me on the back awkwardly.

"Hi Germany! How was I?" He asked. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Hm?" Germany sounded distracted. "Oh. You were sleeping quite contentedly." I pulled away from Italy and smiled shakily at America.

"I see." Italy replied. "I must have felt quite content that I was able to protect everyone." He sighed. "But now I know that content feeling was a mistake." Germany looked uncomfortable.

"Right. A mistake." He agreed. I was surprised to see a tear in his eye.

"Whoa! Don't cry, Germany!" Apparently Italy was surprised too. "I'm very much alive, and now I know better!" Now Germany looked angry. America and I glanced at each other.

"Sh-shut up! I'm mourning!" He replied. "how can you be nonchalant about it?" I cleared my throat.

"Ahem." They looked at me. "So, what's next? How do we get back?

"Well we wound up here because of the journal, so maybe if we find it we can go back." America suggested. Germany nodded, trying to brush away his tears inconspicuously.

"That sounds reasonable. But we don't have it, so…" He trailed off.

"And we can't take this world's journal." Italy agreed. He sighed. "I guess we'll just have to look for it." The house shook, and I grabbed onto America's arm.

"Woah! Wh-What was that?" Germany asked.

"An earthquake?" Italy suggested. "But it feels kind of different-" I had never been in an earthquake before, but I think I heard somewhere that Japan was part of the 'ring of fire'. It was an area where earthquakes and volcanoes occur.

"England?" America asked himself. I was confused. England wasn't part of the ring of- oh. The person. Right.

"England's doing… something…" He decided. Did England usually cause earthquakes? How was America able to sense that this was a special English earthquake? "What the hell? I don't know what he's trying to do, but it must be something absurd!" Well, thanks for clearing that up.

"Something?" Italy asked. The house was still shaking.

"I don't know! But this rumble in the ground often happened when he did a really powerful ench- incantations!" Oh, so America can tell when special English earthquakes occur. "What does he think he's trying to do?"

"Yay, magic. Just when this universe couldn't get any weirder." I grumbled to myself. "Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. There was that one april fools episode… and we are literally in the past..." Everyone ignored me.

"Something absurd…" Italy wondered. There were bright flashes of maroon and bright yellow lightning.

"Holy shit!" I yelped, closing my eyes. Even with my eyes closed the light blinded me. It faded after a few moments and the quaking finally stopped. I was still clutching America's arm like a lifeline. I cracked open one eye.

"H-Huh?" Italy asked. Nothing had happened. "Compared to all that racket…that was nothing much."

"Hmm… You're right." Germany agreed. "Maybe it was just an earthquake?"

"With all of that light?" I asked skeptically. "No, that looked pretty magic-y to me." America pulled himself away from me and started walking down the stairs.

"America?" I asked. He was halfway down the stairs. He jerked, as if coming out of a trance.

"Huh?" He asked. Then he tensed. "Hey, guys, look! The front door!"

"What happened?" Italy asked. We all went to where America was. He held a finger to his lips.

"Heey!" Germany-not Ludwig- called from downstairs. "Is anyone here?" He, Italy, Japan, America, Russia, and China were in the first room.

"They're not here. Maybe they went upstairs?" Japan suggested.

"Sheesh, those old geezers are always going off on their own!" America complained. "They came here first, and yet they're nowhere to be seen!" Was this a new timeline? I mentally counted those who were there. Prussia, England, Canada, and France were missing. Obviously Romano and Spain were gone as well, as they had first come here in my timeline.

"What on earth is going on?" Ludwig asked quietly. I blinked in surprise. Hadn't he figured it out yet?

"No way… We've gone back in time!" Italy gasped. Is that really so hard of a concept to grasp?

"We've gone back in time even though Italy is gone?" America asked. "You mean someone else made time go back?" I suspect England. He was the one who caused the light/earthquake combo, right?

"I'm going to die very…" Italy murmured. What's this about Italy dying?

"Italy? What's the matter?" Germany asked.

"I'm forgetting something." Italy said. "What was it? Something that someone told me."

"Um… guys?" I asked. "We should move. Now." The Nations form this timeline were starting to come upstairs.

"Can't they read the mood?" America grumbled.

"Is this really the time?" I whispered back.

"Why don't we hide on the third floor again?" Germany suggested. "Italy, you have to hide first." I was confused about the third floor for a moment, before realizing that he was talking about before he and Italy ran into America and I.

* * *

We followed Italy and Germany to the piano room. I inspected the piano, but didn't play it.

"There's no numbers on the keys." I observed. "And the half key from before is gone too."

"What half key?" America asked.

"The one that we haven't figured out yet. It's got that strange seal on it." I reminded him. He nodded. We sat in silence for a few more minutes.

"It's that time again… I think we can go out now." Germany finally said. I stood up from the piano bench and stretched.

"Italy, how's your headache? If it's too bad, I'll go look for the journal with Germany." America suggested. Italy had a headache? Since when? Did he tell America about it while Germany and I were paying respects to his body?

"Why not me?" I asked. "Why just you and Germany?"

"Too many weird questions." America replied. "Italy's dead- or being killed- and you're not in this universe." I nodded.

"Oh, that makes sense." I sat back down on the bench. "We can stay here then."

"But I feel fine!" Italy protested. "Let's look for the journal. Starting from the first floor-" The door opened, and England came in.

"Shit." I said blandly.

"Oh?" England was surprisingly unmoved. "Wh-What the hell, you again- Ow!" He was cradling his shoulder.

"Yeah…" America said. "Um, what happened to your shoulder?" Maybe the giant monster out to kill everyone hurt it.

"Nothing. It's… nothing." England replied. He was staring at Italy.

"W-What? Is there something on my face?" Italy asked. I raised an eyebrow. Did he forget that everyone thought that he was dead?

"No, I see. That's it." England said quietly.

"England, your shoulder is bleeding!" America said urgently.

"Yeah, I know. Stop freaking out." England replied. "Ow." He finished under his breath.

"Say, America, what's your purpose here?" England asked, moving around the piano. What, am I invisible?

"What? W-well, to escape with everyone." America replied. England was now facing away from us.

"Just play along." Germany mouthed. I nodded, still confused.

"I know that. What I want to know is, why are you in this world?" England continued. What's with the sudden philosophy? We all remained silent, and England sighed. "Do you want me to be even blunter? What are you, Italy, Germany, and that blonde girl doing here. Why have you come… to this world?" I let out a deep breath.

"My name's Emma, by the way." I corrected him. "And it's more of a… wibbly wobbly, timey wimey thing." I smiled at the Doctor Who reference, hoping it would loosen him up. "I'm the only one with weird interdimensional stuff."

"Emma!" America hissed.

"We're looking for the journal." Germany interrupted. "We can't go back without it."

"Hah! Then go fucking back already." England spat. I flinched slightly at his sharp tone. "Always loitering around and making a racket, you lot…" In one swift move, he pulled out the journal and threw it in front of Italy and Germany.

"The journal!" Italy gasped. "It was with you, England?"

"I found it on the first floor." England replied, recovering from his bout of anger. He winced. "Ugh! What the hell? You've got to run! They're feeding it!"

"Feeding…?" I said quietly. Horrific images of Steve grabbing random Nations and bringing them to his mouth filled my mind. The door opened once more, and we turned to see Giant Steve standing in front of it.

"It's here. You guys go back." England said. "Don't you intervene any more!"

"W-Wait! Are you going to fight alone?" America asked. "You can't!"

"Sorry, we don't have much time. You're going to die very soon. Just listen to what I have to tell you." England addressed Italy.

"Wait, what? I don't understand…" Italy asked.

"Just listen to me!" England said harshly. "That's all you've got to do. Don't go to the second floor. That's all." He sighed. "God, what a nuisance." There was a flash of light and we were all frozen in place.

"I can't move!" America panicked.

"Don't worry." England replied, looking out of breath. His hands were held out in front of him. "I'll die before it can attack you-"

"What?" I gasped.

"-I'll teleport you back with the journal using what little strength I have left…" He continued, ignoring me.

"What? You're-" Germany began.

"Please, cut it off." England said. "I'm trying to concentrate." A bright light flashed, and I saw no more.


	30. Chapter 30

**Hello again! Sorry about the lateness, I was sick and thus had a shitload of homework to catch up on. But hooray for 30 chapters! Some emotional drama in this one. Sorry if it's bad, I don't get into fights often. Next chapter will be... more emotional fluff. And finally starting on a little romance! On another note, I have just watched all of Gravity Falls in two days. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"-I'll teleport you back with the journal using what little strength I have left…" He continued, ignoring me._

 _"What? You're-" Germany began._

 _"Please, cut it off." England said. "I'm trying to concentrate." A bright light flashed, and I saw no more._

* * *

"Ergh…" I groaned. After the light we had been moved to another room… no… hallway. Everything was fuzzy.

"Whoa! A-America? Emma?" Someone gasped. I wobbled before someone grabbed my arm.

"Emma? Are you alright?" They asked. This was a different voice from before. I blinked a few times and my vision focused.

"Al…?" I asked. America was the one holding me up. Japan was standing next to me.

"West! What the hell, you really came back!" Prussia yelled, hugging Germany. I tried to stand up, but my stomach disagreed with me.

"She looks like she's gonna puke!" America panicked. I clapped my hand over my mouth, determined not to puke in front of my favorite characters. After a moment the room stopped spinning. And I slowly stood up.

"I-I'm good now." I decided. Romano was fussing over Italy, and Prussia was doing the same to Germany. America was blinking tears out of his eyes.

"America?" Japan asked. At some point he had begun holding onto my other arm.

"Shit!" America yelled. He released my arm and hit the wall instead.

"Woah!" I exclaimed. "Al, c-calm down!"

"He's fucking kidding me!" America continued yelling.

"Alfred F. Jones!" I said angrily, the last of my dizziness passing. "I know you're upset, but England is fine!" There was a moment of silence, and I realized that my eyes were slightly wet too.

"...Japan, I remembered a few more things." Italy said.

"Y-Yes?" Japan asked, looking between America, Italy and I.

"There was someone else who could make time go back." Italy said quietly.

"What, really?" Prussia exclaimed.

"England." I told him. "That self-sacrificing…" I took a deep breath. "Sorry. I just… He died!"

"He what?" Prussia asked.

"You're fucking kidding me!" America continued raging. "What good is stopping it if you're dead?"

"America-san! Stop punching the wall! You're bleeding!" Japan panicked. I tried to reason through England's logic. We were from the future, including Italy, so something must have reset the timeline. So even if he did die reversing time, he would have just come back again.

I felt like punching the wall with America. I understood his motives, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

"America…" Italy tried. America was breathing heavily, completely still.

"...I'm back." He said after a few moments.

"Yes, it's good to see you." Japan said cautiously. "I'm glad you came back safely… or mostly safely." He looked at me. "Where on earth have you been?"

"We wound up in the past!" Italy tried to explain. "And then I, er… died- I mean, found the journal and… wait, no. Um…" I laughed quietly.

"Why don't I explain, Feli." I told him. He nodded. "When the journal activated we ended up in the past. America and I were together, and so were Italy and Germany. America and I heard the original group- I mean, the group from that timeline- fighting in one of the rooms, so we went to the safe room, except that hadn't been built yet. A few minutes later, Germany and Italy came in with that timeline's Germany coming after them. America and our Germany- I'll just call him Ludwig- hid, but Germany ran in before Italy and I could hide. Apparently his Italy had died, so he thought that he was looking at Italy's ghost and I was an angel that had come to collect his soul or something." America snickered and I glared at him.

"Sorry, go on." He apologized, not sorry at all.

"Anyways, Germany left and Ludwig and America came out. Ludwig and I went to go pay our respects to the dead Italy, then there were some more weird time shenanigans so we went to hide in the piano room. But England came in and he was injured, and we talked and Giant Steve came in so England sent us back to the future, killing himself in the process." I paused for a moment. "Heh. Back to the Future. So, did I get everything?" There was a general round of nodding and agreeing.

"Wow, that's…" Romano tried to find the right words.

"Confusing?" Prussia offered. Romano glared at him, but nodded.

"So what's this door? What happened?" Germany asked. I blinked, noticing for the first time where we were. It was the hallway before the armor room, on the first floor. In between the two entrances to the armor room was a doorway surrounded in torn fabric.

"It's the (alleged) entrance to the annex. If you want details, ask the guys upstairs. We're going in now." Romano explained, moving towards the door. I grinned.

"I'm coming with you!" I announced, also heading towards the door. Japan tightened his grip on my wrist, which he still apparently hadn't let go of.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" He asked. "You seemed unstable before." I shook my head.

"Don't worry Kiku, I'm fine!" I told him, using his human name for emphasis. He released my arm, frowning.

"Are you sure?" He asked again. "You seemed sick earlier."

"We can't let you go alone!" Italy agreed. "We're coming with you!"

"We will be fine. We're only going to take a quick look around, and then come back. And it should definitely have a dead end." Japan argued. He lanced at me, and I got the feeling he was mad at me. What did I do? "Unless you know anything otherwise, Emma-kun?"

"I…" I thought for a moment.

"All right. In the meantime, I'll be sorting out my head. Let's go, America. You want to see England, don't you?" Italy pacified.

"He's on the first floor. West, walk them there and then come back. Italy, you stay with Emma and America. Make sure they're alright." Prussia instructed.

"I'm coming with you!" I said frustratedly. Something about seeing England die had made me determined to make a difference.

"No!" Japan ordered loudly. I stepped back slightly, surprised at his tone. He never raised his voice. Everyone else seemed just as surprised.

"Japan…?" Italy asked, sounding worried. Japan sighed deeply.

"Please just go and rest, Emma-kun." He told me. I bit my lip nervously. I didn't know what was wrong. I needed help. Normally I'd go to Japan, but he was the problem…

"Prussia?" I asked. "Where's France?" Prussia seemed surprised.

"Third floor." He told me. I nodded and left the hallway. Germany, Italy, and America came out a moment later.

"So…" America started, but I held up a hand.

"Don't." I told him. He seemed to get the message and we headed to the fourth floor in silence.

* * *

"I'll stop here." I said dully as we hit the third floor. "I'll find France. You guys continue." The Nations glanced at each other before nodding and moving on. I placed my hand on my sword and glanced around.

"France?" I called out.

"Emma?" France called back, emerging from one of the doors with Canada. "It is good to know you are safe!"

"Where were you?" Canada asked.

"And are you alright? You seem upset." France finished. I sighed.

"I'm fine, guys. Just… tired. Physically and emotionally." I told them. France and Canada glanced at each other.

"We've finished looking through this floor, so why don't you tell us what happened while we go to the safe room?" Canada suggested. I nodded and began the same explanation I had told Japan, Prussia, and Romano, as well as their reactions.


	31. Chapter 31

**Hello again! I apologize for updating a day late, but my computer froze last night. Anyways, some more world building and France's theory on just what has gotten Japan so riled up. Next chapter I'll try to go a little deeper into the magic of the Hetalia World, if I can fit it in. There is also a hint about the ending. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"We've finished looking through this floor, so why don't you tell us what happened while we go to the safe room?" Canada suggested. I nodded and began the same explanation I had told Japan, Prussia, and Romano, as well as their reactions._

* * *

By the time we had made it to the safe room I had told them the entire story. France and Canada glanced at each other, and it looked like France was hiding a smirk.

"What?" I asked. France cleared his throat.

"Well, I believe I see the problem with Japan." He decided.

"He was really worried when you and the others disappeared." Canada agreed. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course he was worried! His best friends had gone missing!" I told them, annoyed. France sighed, that hidden smirk still on his face.

"I do not believe you understand, Emma. Japan is usually very good at hiding his emotions, but when you disappeared he wasn't able to conceal how worried he was." France explained. "He was barely able to keep himself together. When he saw that you were weak when you came back…"

"I'm not- I wasn't weak!" I spluttered.

"You nearly fainted and felt like you were about to puke." Canada said dryly. "And everyone else was fine, even if they were emotionally distressed."

"But it went away after a few moments!" I protested. France sighed again.

"Emma, we worried that you might be dead. So when Japan saw that you were weak, he wanted to protect you. I believe that it's possible that he might have… feelings… for you." He stated. I stared at him blankly. Feelings? As in… romantic feelings? But Japan couldn't have romantic feelings for me, right? Did I have romantic feelings for him? I mean, Prussia is my favorite character… but now that I'm here, he seems more like a friend to me than someone that I would date…

"I…" I tried, but I couldn't decide what to say.

"I'll let that sink in." France told me. "Big brother France is always happy to help!" England, America, Italy, and Germany entered, saving me from answering. England was muttering to himself.

"Emma! I need to see your journal!" He called. Canada went to go greet his brother and I rushed over to give England my journal, putting Japan out of my head for now. I could figure that out later.

"What do you need it for?" I asked. England flipped through the pages, muttering to himself once again.

"There…. there…. there…." He said, flipping through my notes.

"Uh… Something wrong, England?" America asked, coming over with Canada. "You look slightly insane." England turned to us, holding my journal open.

"What do you know of magic?" He asked. I blinked.

"Uhh… Past you used it to send us to the future, and you used it to turn France into a kid in one of the April Fool's specials." I offered. England sighed.

"So nothing." He decided. "I guess I'll have to explain it." He pulled out a piece of chalk and started drawing on the floor. "The ability to wield magic is something you either do or don't have. There are certain spots in the world- hotspots, if you want- with a large magical concentration. These hotspots are usually attuned to one thing. This can be anything from illusions, to divination, to mind control."

"And you think that we're on one of those hotspots?" Canada asked. England nodded, having drawn a circle on the floor with his chalk.

"A transportation one to be precise. But something is using all of its magical energy, which is why I didn't sense it before. Now, something has drained me of my usual magical reserves, but if I can channel the power of the hotspot I might be able to-" The symbol he had drawn on the ground began to glow, and a few moments later Romano, Prussia, and Japan appeared. I felt heat rising in my cheeks as I looked away from Japan.

"It worked!" England said happily. "Would you look a that! I actually did it!"

"Ooh, amazing! Even I'm impressed!" France praised. He had come over at some point during England's explanation. He turned to the people we had just transported. "Sorry for bringing you back all of the sudden. Were you in the middle of something…?" He trailed off as we saw how the three were standing. Prussia was holding his sword- now broken, Romano was holding his gun, and Japan had his sword out.

"W-We're saved?" Romano asked. "Why all of a the sudden-"

"Well you see, when I was searching the fourth floor I found some lumps of concentrated magic. I can only assume that my past self left them. I'm not entirely sure how, but thanks to that I was able to get back some of my magic and use it to bring you back!"

"He was talking about magical hotspots and started drawing on the floor. Then you appeared!" Russia added. I jumped. When had he gotten here?

"Please stop teleporting people! The people you teleported didn't give you their consent!" America grumbled loudly. What was he- oh. With everything with Japan, I had almost forgotten what had happened with England. Canada put his hand on America's shoulder understandingly.

"America, why don't you take a rest? You're upsetting Emma, and you've got blood on your clothes-" Italy suggested.

"This is from when England used his magic to-" America replied angrily.

"Oh, um, I see. When you grabbed him, he was bleeding a lot…" He trailed off, looking at England. I blinked.

"You guys haven't told him?" I asked.

"Told me what?" England asked. I glanced at the others who had been with me.

"I've already explained twice." I told them. "This one's yours." They all refused to look at me.

"Italy, go take a bath." Germany finally ordered. "It'll give you a nice change of mood." Italy nodded.

"Y-Yeah, good idea. America, come with me. I'll use the shower on the other side, Let's calm down a little!" He offered, glancing at me. The shower excuse wouldn't work on me, since I only showered when there was no one else in the bathroom.

"...Fine." America decided.

"Sorry, he's gone through a lot. You'll have to excuse him." Germany apologized one the two had entered the bathroom. He glanced at me, silently asking for help with the explanation. I raised an eyebrow at him in a 'your move' gesture. Spain cleared his throat.

"So…" He said. "It sounds like you've been through a lot. I think I heard something about time travel?"

"Yes. Both Italy and England lost their lives." Germany said curtly."America and I… didn't take it as well as the others."

"Huh. Knowing that a different me died in a different timeline…" England muttered. "That feels so weird. Anyways, you both look pretty tired as well. There are four bathrooms so at least you can take a bath, Germany." Germany nodded.

"You're right. Excuse me, then. I'm a little… tired." He excused himself. Japan cleared his throat.

"Anyway, you did well in teleporting us. We were in great danger! It was by a hair's breadth!" He said. My stomach felt… weird as he said that, but I pushed it away. Stupid France making me worry about romance at a time like this… "Also, we found a lot of these things on the floor." He held out a few objects that looked like sparkly grey rocks.

"Aaah! What have you got there?" England panicked, rushing over.

"Woah!" Japan said, surprised. "You mean these? We found them lying on the floor in the annexe. Do you know what they are?"

"Those are the 'lumps of magic' that England was talking about, si?" Spain asked. I drew slightly closer, wanting to see the magic lumps. "I wonder why there were some in the annexe, too?" I frowned. The lumps weren't very impressive for being magic.

"He said that his past self left them earlier." I remembered.

"Huh." Prussia shrugged. "Good thing we picked them up, then. It was just like I said." The way that he said that made me feel like he was lying, so I raised an eyebrow at him.

England was still inspecting the lumps. "There was this much? Now I'll get back a considerable amount of my reserves!" The lumps glowed in his hands for a moment before disintegrating into dirt. England grinned. "This is a good omen. I think I'll give it a shot. This room is a little dirty; I'll clean it up!" I braced myself for some magic-y… thing. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. There was a flash of light and the room magically fixed itself.

"Oh. You definitely put it in order. For that amount of power…" He frowned. Did he know about magic too?

China sighed. "You saved us the cleaning work. So, what are we going to do now? We have so much to do that I'm a jumble!"

"Amerique seems to be having difficulties, so I guess that we should go this time?" France suggested. He turned to Prussia. "And what happened to your sword?"

"It broke." He sighed. "It must have gotten worn out from using it all the time in battle. What am I going to do now? I can't fight barehanded."

"Oh! That reminds me, my bullets weren't coming out, either!" Romano mentioned. "Potato- oh, he's in the bath…"

"Ah-ha, so that really was one of West's? Let me see it. I'll fix it for you." Prussia suggested.

"There are knives in the kitchen." I suggested. "I know they aren't meant for fighting, but they're better for nothing, right?" Japan nodded.

"This may be troublesome. However, we have also gone through a continuous series of battles. Why don't we take a break until those three come out of the bathroom?" He added.

"That reminds me," Russia piped up, "I've been wondering… Thanks to the journal- Italy's, not Emma's- a lot of enemies were gone, but where did they go?" England furrowed his brow in thought.

"Well, is those four wound up in the past, then obviously the enemies also-" His eyes widened in understanding. "Oh."

"Oh what?" I asked.

"The Steves must have also been scattered throughout the timelines."


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello again! This time I will blame my lateness on daylight savings time. I managed to fit in a little more about this universe's magic, as well as a confrontation between Japan and Emma. Just so you know, I see Emma and America having a brother/sister relationship, so he'll tease her but it's nothing romantic.**

 **Anyways, we're almost to the end of the game! I'm getting a little nervous. If I complete this, it'll be my first completed multichapter fic. Speaking of which, I posted a short one shot crossover between ROTG and Homestuck, in case any of you want to read it. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Well, is those four wound up in the past, then obviously the enemies also-" His eyes widened in understanding. "Oh."_

 _"Oh what?" I asked._

 _"The Steves must have also been scattered throughout the timelines."_

* * *

Italy and America had been retrieved by Germany, and we had just filled them in.

"What? You mean the enemy wound up in the past, too?" Italy asked.

"Wait a minute. If that's true, does that mean they were in the same time look as us? Shouldn't we go back and kill them?" Germany agreed.

"Y-yeah, now we are able to fight them, but our past selves definitely wouldn't be able to kill them, and if someone dies because of them-" Italy started.

"It would mess everything up." I agreed.

"If that's what you're worried about, it's okay. It's already dead." America told us.

"Eh? You killed it? When?" Canada asked.

"Are you talking about the one past England blew up?" I asked. America nodded.

"But there wasn't only one enemy. We should go back just in case." Germany said.

"Unless they were all grouped into the basement or the annex, there was no others." I told him. "I'm pretty sure the second time loop is fine."

"Is this another one of your future knowledge things?" England asked. I shook my head.

"No, but they would've come after us, right?" I asked. America nodded.

"And besides, I don't want to go back there." He agreed. England huffed.

"What the hell, you're still not over it? So, anyways, we're going to split into two groups. One will go to the annex and another will go to the past." He decided. I frowned.

"But how are we going to get to the past?" I asked. England pointed to the sigil he had drawn on the floor.

"Using that and the magic I gained, I should be able to harness the power of the hotspot. This one seems to be attuned to transportation, so while this will be hard, it won't be impossible." He explained. I nodded. "Any objections?"

"So now we are free to choose who will go to the past?" He asked. England nodded.

"As long as you don't change the past other than defeating the enemies, yes." He said.

"Hmm, I think I'll go then." France decided.

"I can go too." China agreed.

"Me too." Russia said.

"Oh, then I'm coming with you. What are you going to do, America?" Canada asked.

"I'll stay. I want to search the annexe." He said. I nodded.

"Considering how I felt when I was traveling through time, it's probably best that I stay as well." I agreed. England nodded.

"Is that everyone?" He asked. Romano sighed.

"I might as well." He decided.

"I'll go too!" Spain added.

"Bastard." Romano mumbled.

"All right. Then you six have to stand close to the magic circle." He instructed. He pulled out some clear marbles from his pocket and started muttering at them. They were filled with green smoke. He handed one to each of them. "These have been tied to the magic of the circle. Break them when you want to come back." He told them. "Italy, give me your journal. It seems to be linked to the magic of the hotspot." Italy gave him his journal and he set it in the middle of the circle. The circle pulsed with light, then went back to normal. England looked around at everyone who was traveling.

"Remember, don't interact with our past selves. This journal will guide you through the timelines. Come back as soon as you kill the enemy." The travelers nodded.

"Yes sir." France said, smirking. "Well then, we'll be right back from our killing spree. Au revoir!" The circle flashed and the journal, France, Romano, Spain, Canada, China, and Russia were gone."

Japan cleared his throat. "Well now. Those whose weapons were broken should wait here. So should you four who came back from the past." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Japan, can I talk to you for a moment?" I asked. Japan blinked.

"Can it wait?" He asked. My eyes hardened.

"No." I said firmly. "We need to talk. It'll only take a moment." I felt everyone's eyes on us. Japan nodded.

"All right." He decided, his face completely calm. I turned and walked away, and he followed me. I lead us down the stairs and into the bedroom before the safe room.

"What do you want to talk about?" Japan asked, sounding a little apprehensive. I sighed.

"Japan." I said. "I understand what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it, but you can't keep coddling me."

"Coddling you?" Japan asked. I nodded.

"I'm going to be in danger no matter what. Just being in this house means that I could be killed at any moment!" I explained. Japan was silent for a moment.

"The room behind us hasn't been attacked. It's the safest place in the mansion." He said quietly. I sighed.

"Japan, I'd go crazy just sitting there! I wouldn't know what happened to you guys! I-" My voice caught. "Just...let me do something. If there's any danger I trust you to protect me. I'll run away if you tell me to." Japan sighed.

"Emma-kun, even without our Nation abilities we are still hundreds, sometimes thousands of years old. We know how to fight. We are tougher than the average human-"

"And look where that's gotten you!" I yelled at him. "An endless series of time loops! I'm what's different about this one! That means that I can break them, or at least change it somehow. I want to help, because I'm what makes this loop individual."

"Spain-san and Romano-san-"

"Are Nations too. Maybe...maybe you need a human." I could feel tears forming at the corners of my eyes but I refused to cry. "The world needs you guys… and I can't let you get hurt. So I'm coming." Japan stood there looking at me.

"Kiku. Please." I said quietly. "Let me help." Japan remained quiet for a moment, before nodding.

"If we tell you to run-"

"I'll run, unless I have a very good reason." Japan frowned.

"Em-"

"Kiku." I interrupted. He stared at me.

"Very well." He decided. I smiled at him.

"Thank you." I paused for a moment. This seemed like a good opportunity for a hug. Should I though?

...Screw it. I hugged him. After a moment he hugged back.

"Am I interrupting something?" America's voice said, sounding amused. I jumped away from Japan. America was leaning on the edge of the door.

"America! What-" I said startled. He laughed.

"Dude, we heard the shouting stop so I came here to get you guys." I blushed slightly.

"Oh, did you hear-"

"We only heard shouting, not what was being said." He reassured me. "Anyways, let's go back inside." I nodded and he stepped aside so that I could go through the door.

"Everything good now?" Prussia asked. I nodded. Japan and America came over. "So, who's going to the annexe?"

"I want to go." America said.

"Me too." I agreed.

"I'll go as well." England decided. "I want to see if there's any more of my magic down there."

"I will-" Japan started.

"And I'm going too, so I think that's enough people!" Italy finalized. We all stared at him.

"Erm...Italy, is there something wrong?" I asked. Italy shook his head. I raised my eyebrow at him and tried again. "Did something happen in the annex during a previous time loop?" Italy laughed nervously.

"Si… During the last time loop Japan died in the annexe." He explained. "So I don't really want to see him go down there." I nodded.

"...I will stay back, then." Japan decided.

"So, just us four?" England asked. We all nodded. "All right then. Let's go."

* * *

 _Once Emma left after her conversation with Japan._

"Hey, Japan. Stay a minute." America said quietly, holding out his arm to block Japan. Japan paused, looking confused.

"What is it, America-san?" He asked. America looked him in the eye.

"We've known each other for a long time, Japan. I know what you're up to." He said. Japan tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"Do you, America-san?" He asked. America nodded.

"And I'd just like to say that you're not the only one watching out for Emma. I look after my people. You know that." He said seriously. Japan nodded and America's cool demeanor melted and he clapped Japan on the shoulder. "Right then! Let's get back to the others!" He said, grinning. They went to join the Nations- and one human- in the room, while Japan tried to puzzle out the enigma that was America-san. He sighed mentally. As ever, it was a pointless endeavor.


	33. Chapter 33

**Hello again! We are finally up to 100 (technically 101) pages of this fanfic! I'm also on spring break, which means that I'll have a little more time to work on it. A little more on the magic of the HetaOniverse in this chapter. The spells are from Harry Potter, which belongs to JK Rowling and Scholastic. I'm probably going to mention the HP magic again sometime in this fic, so consider this a disclaimer for the rest of the story.**

 **On another note, tomorrow I start driving class. Wish me luck! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"And I'd just like to say that you're not the only one watching out for Emma. I look after my people. You know that." He said seriously. Japan nodded and America's cool demeanor melted and he clapped Japan on the shoulder. "Right then! Let's get back to the others!" He said, grinning. They went to join the Nations- and one human- in the room, while Japan tried to puzzle out the enigma that was America-san. He sighed mentally. As ever, it was a pointless endeavor._

* * *

I stared down the dark entrance to the annexe. It looked fairly menacing, and for a moment I reconsidered volunteering to go down there.

"I'll go first!" America volunteered. There was a ladder leading down.

"Go ahead." I replied, then watched as he descended. I went next, followed by England and Italy. The room at the bottom was dark and musty. I could see cracks in the floor and a hole in the wall.

"Doesn't look like there's anything here." England said, glancing around. We turned the corner to see a faded blue door at the end of the hallway. America opened it and gestured inside.

"Ladies first." I maturely stuck my tongue out at him, but went cautiously inside. There was an opening to our left, and another blue door ahead. We spread out a bit.

"Aha!" England announced. "I found a bit of my magic!" His hands glowed for a moment, signifying that he'd gotten the magic back. We moved to the room on the left. There was a table in the middle and a lever in the corner. I moved to operate it, but Italy stopped me.

"Let's not press it for now." He told me. I nodded and stepped back. There was nothing else interesting, so we moved on.

The next room was a library of sorts. There were bookshelves, and a large table was placed at the front of the room. England quickly set about gathering up the lumps of magic, with me trailing slightly behind. Despite everything that had happened, the idea of there being magic in this world was a little exciting.

"So a past you infused his magic into these little lumps?" I asked. England nodded. "Why do they turn to dirt?"

"It's because I'm a special class of magic user called an elemental." He explained, seemingly enjoying my questions. "We're really powerful magic wise, and we're attuned to one of the four magical elements- earth, air, water, and fire." I nodded.

"And you're earth?" I asked as we finished with the first lump. England nodded.

"The magical elements are actually somewhat connected to the scientific states of matter. Earth is solid, water is liquid, and air is gas." He continued.

"What about fire?" I interrupted.

"Fire is a special case. It represents energy. Elementals are attuned to their element. For example Norway, who is a water elemental, can't drown." I frowned.

"Norway's an elemental?" I asked. England nodded.

"So is Romania." My eyes widened in realisation.

"Is that why you're called the magic trio? Because I'm pretty sure that Russia can do some magic too, because there was that strip where he cursed Japan with stomach cramps or something." Arthur frowned, trying to think of what I was referencing.

"Oh, you mean when the Russian Orthodox Church cursed Japan and there was that earthquake eighteen years later? That was coincidence." I deflated slightly. "But yes, Norway, Romania and I are the only ones to have bothered with elemental status among the nations. In humans it drastically increases their life-"

"Hey Iggy! You sounded like you were boring Emma to death so I thought I'd come and save her!" America said as England picked up the final lump. England scowled.

"I was not! She asked!" He protested. Italy wandered over.

"My memories of this place are really hazy." He commented. "I wonder why?" England glanced around the room.

"There's another door over there." He said. "I'll go check it out." I followed him once again. I spoke once we had gotten a little further away.

"I don't think it's boring." I told him. "It's actually pretty interesting, since we don't have magic in my world!" We entered the last room. This looked like some sort of small storage room. We glanced around but didn't find anything.

"I can see how suddenly being placed into a world with magic could be shocking." England said. "But most of the humans living in this world live in ignorance of it, so it's not as strange for me to imagine a world without magic that for you to imagine a world with it."

"You said most of the humans. Are there humans in this world that can do magic?" I asked. England nodded as we approached America and Italy.

"We couldn't find anything." He announced. "Maybe there's a clue in these shelves?" AMerica turned on us, heading straight for England.

"England. I'm pretty confidant in my skills and abilities. That's why I was able to grow up and come this far, right?" He asked. England and I glanced at each other. This was unexpected.

"What?" England asked, completely confused.

"That's why I won't accept it. Even though you were defeated, you saved me and in the end you died…" America's voice quieted. "I'm the her. If it's up to me… I'd rather be the one doing the saving. I'll prove it to you! This time, I'll save you guys." I blinked, and the room shook. A Giant Steve had fallen down from the ceiling to our right. Italy yelled.

"Holy shi-" I began, but America pushed England and I all the way to the wall and faced Giant Steve.

"Ow!" England complained. I had fallen on him. "Hey, America! You-" America shot two excellent shots straight to Giant Steve's chest. The bullets just bounced off, to all of our surprise.

"It didn't work?" America asked. England pushed me off of him and stood up.

"Watch out!" He yelled, a little too late. Giant Steve advanced. "What the hell are you doing, you idiot?" Giant Steve was right in front of him. It raised an arm to strike him.

"Shi-" America started, but he was interrupted by Italy's cry of 'America!'.

A barrier had blocked Giant Steve's hit. Giant Steve had frozen upon impact.

"...A barrier...W-What the hell is this?" America murmured. It looked slightly familiar. Had I seen something like it before?"

"Take cover!" England yelled. "It's not working!" The barrier had begun to blink, and Giant Steve moved slightly each time it failed. At some point England had jumped in front of America to protect him. He was trying to power the shield, but it still flickered. " **Incarcerous!** " He roared, and America was pushed back from the power. The shield had produced tendrils to help contain Giant Steve. Italy and I rushed to help America, Italy arriving first.

"Oh, good. It's just cracked." I heard him say as he held Texas. "If they had gotten shattered it'd be the end for you!" America was holding his shoulder gingerly.

"Al, what's wrong with your shoulder?" I asked. He winced.

"Dislocated, probably." He replied.

"Italy, Emma, take that useless git back to the second floor! You can lecture him later!" England ordered.

"Will you be alright?" I asked.

"I'll have to be saved...again…?" I heard America mutter to himself. "Both in the past and the present?"

"I'll fight too!" Italy announced. "Sorry America, but you'll have to trust in Emma to get you back safely!"

"I'm not going to kill it! I'm just buying time! If we all try to run now, America will get caught! If I distract it while you two help him, we're all more like likely to save ourselves!" England groaned.

"B-But England, you can't fight alone…" Italy protested.

"In that case, I shall fight with you." Japan's voice came from behind us. He pushed past us to stand next to England.

"Japan?" Italy gasped at the same time I shouted "Kiku?"

"Having said that, my strength is not infinite. Going through a series of battles has been a little hard on my body." Japan continued.

"Thank you." England told him. "If you try to argue any more, you'll get attacked too." He told us. "Just go, quickly!"

"But-" I protested.

"Emma-kun." Japan said. "Remember your promise. This is an order. Run!" I nodded and grabbed under America's armpits.

"Italy, get his legs!" I said. "We can come back to help as soon as America's to safety!" Italy nodded and grabbed America's legs. The two of us began to drag him away from the battle. Just before we left I saw the two pause mid fight, standing together wearily. They spoke to each other for a moment, before grabbing hands.

" **Legilimens!** " I heard England yell, before Italy and I dragged America completely out of the room and into the hall.


	34. Chapter 34

**Hello again and happy Easter! Long, fluffy chapter as an Easter present, and I have an announcement to make! I want someone to draw me a cover! Seriously, all art- no matter how bad you think it is- is accepted. Just keep it PG, please! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _" **Legilimens!** " I heard England yell, before Italy and I dragged America completely out of the room and into the hall._

* * *

Italy and I dragged America up to the second floor, nabbing a few papers along the way. We quickly got him to rest in one of the beds, and Germany contacted Austria. After the call ended England and Japan entered, looking exhausted. Italy ran over to them, with me behind him.

"Oh thank God! I was worried that we'd have to come after you!" He fretted.

"We couldn't kill it, but at least we managed to escape. How is America doing?" England asked. Italy gestured to the bed.

"Well, he's calmed down. He's sleeping now." He explained. I glanced over at America. His arm had been dislocated, and possibly fractured, and he'd hit his head when falling. Despite this he seemed to be recovering well. England sighed.

"I see. I suppose I'll have to wait until he wakes up to lecture him, then." He decided. Italy and England continued talking and I turned to Japan.

"Glad to see that you're alright." I offered. He nodded.

"I could say the same." He replied. "Were you hurt?" I shook my head.

"Nope! Not even a scratch!" I replied. Japan nodded, and we fell into an awkward silence. I decided to listen in to Italy and England's conversation instead. England laughed. What had I missed?

"That's what America told you! So, you threw his own words back at him just like that?" He asked.

"You outdid him, Italy-kun." Japan offered. Apparently he had paid attention to their conversation as well as ours. I was still lost though. There was a flash of light behind us and the time travelers came back.

"Japan!" China yelled. Everyone was surprised by his volume as he barreled towards Japan.

"You're back!" Japan replied, taken aback.

"We went through a lot, but we killed them all right." France said, uncharacteristically grim. "All of them, before having to stop and come back here. Nothing has changed in the past...Nothing." It took me a moment to wonder why they were all so grim, but past Italy's body came to mind. I knew these people through the anime, but they had grown up together. And so many had died in the time loops…

"What about you?" Russia asked, pulling me back to the real world.

"America got injured. He's sleeping now. Because of that, we couldn't kill the enemy and we haven't properly explored the annexe." England reported. "I feel like we're under house arrest here."

"America?" Canada panicked, rushing to his bedside. I trailed after him.

"His arm's dislocated, and he hit his head." I told him while Russia interrogated the others further.

"According to Italy, he just needs some rest." I saw Canada's back visibly relax before he busied himself double checking his injuries. I looked over America's face. It looked...strange...without his glasses.

I glanced a Canada, feeling like I was intruding on his brotherly concern. Perhaps I should head back to the others.

"Oh, it's my phone!" Italy said as I walked over, answering it. "Veh, it's been a while! Is everything all right there?"

"Who's he talking to?" I asked Japan , who was standing right next to Italy. Japan shrugged.

"What, you can't call Russia's phone?" Italy continued. "R-Right. Russia, Lithuania wants to talk to you!" He went to give the phone to Russia, who was sitting at the table. I was left with China and Japan. Glancing between them, I realized that there was still some tension.

"I can leave if you want…?" I offered.

"No, it's fine Emma-kun." Japan replied. I could feel a blush rising in my cheeks as I remembered what France had told me.

"Stupid anime boys!" I muttered to myself.

"Did you say something?" China asked. I quickly shook my head, looking around for a distraction.

"I, uh…Just saw England head to the kitchen! I'm going to run interference!" I told them, before absconding the hell out of there. I knew I was procrastinating, but I didn't have time to be confused over Japan's 'feelings' for me! "Hey England, what're you making?"

"Hmm?" Oh, I was thinking of trying another batch of scones!" He said cheerfully. The remnants of my blush were quickly replaced with a look of dread.

"Can I help?" I offered. I knew nothing about making scones, but at least I could keep them from burning.

"Sure!" He replied. "We'll need flour, baking powder, sugar…" We gathered the ingredients and I measured them out while he mixed. The dough turned out surprisingly okay.

"And then we just pop them in the oven for a while!" He finished. I checked the temperature and my eyes widened.

"Isn't that a bit high?" I asked.

"It'll cook faster on a higher heat!" England explained. I still turned the heat down.

"We've got time. It's not like we're planning on going anywhere." I said seriously, before laughing to myself. England watched as the laughter intensified.

"What's so funny?" He asked as I wiped tears out of my eyes.

"This!" I replied, gesturing to the messy kitchen. "It's just...we're in fear of our lives, and we're making scones!" England started chuckling as well.

"It does seem rather domestic, doesn't it?" He asked before glancing at the door. "Oh, Russia's back."

"He left?" I replied as my laughter died down. "I didn't notice."

"Yes, Japan and China went after him as well." England told me. A phone rang from that direction.

"I'm going to go find out who's calling. You good for cleaning up?" I asked, wiping my hands on a towel. England nodded and set to picking up the bowls. I went over to where the others were, but Russia took the phone and headed into the bathroom. Pausing for a moment, I decided to follow him. What could he be hiding?

I tried to listed in, but the conversation was in Russian. I sighed and wandered back over to the table. The papers Italy and I had grabbed from the annex were there.

"These don't make any sense!" Prussia groaned as I came over.

"What doesn't make any sense?" I asked, glancing at the papers. There were equations and formulas scribbled all over them, and all in a language I didn't know. "What are these equations for?"

"That's the problem. We can't figure them out." Germany told me. "They don't look like chemical formulas and recipes, but they're all useless. THe only thing know is that they are written in Japanese, but that is to be expected considering where we are."

"The pieces of writing we can find look like poetry." France added. I blinked.

"You all can read Japanese?" I asked blankly. Prussia gave me a 'well duh' look.

"We've dealt with each other for hundreds of years. Of course we know each other's languages!" He told me. I reddened slightly.

"The only reason that we're talking in English is for your benefit, Emma! Usually we just speak our native language to each other." Italy explained cheerfully. "But now we've sort of gotten into the habit of it!" I could feel my face redden again.

"Right…" I muttered. "Sorry, stupid question."

"Why don't we take a break?" Japan suggested as England came over, apparently done cleaning. Everyone nodded, but I continued to look at the notes. The language barrier could be so frustrating!

"We've got a copy of European numerals if you want those." Prussia offered, handing me another, newer set of notes. "Maybe they'll make sense to you." I accepted them gratefully and glanced over them. I might as well have been reading them in Japanese, because they made as much sense as they did then.

I decided that my time was better spent listening in to France and England's conversation.  
"Listen, France…" England said quietly.

"Oui? What is it Angleterre?" France replied. I was glad they were speaking English. It made eavesdropping so much easier.

"I don't want to sound gloomy but…" England started.

"You already naturally are, mon cher." France teased. "I don't see what could be more depressing." I stifled a giggle.

"S-Shut up! I'm serious!" England stammered. "Please!"

"Oh?" France asked, before sobering. "Oh…" What? Why was France serious all of the sudden?

"If… If anything bad happens…" England said.

Whelp. This sounds like it's going to get depressing. Time to check on the scones! I stood abruptly and headed back into the kitchen.

The scones were just about done. I pulled them out of the oven and admired our good work. While they certainly weren't the best scones in the world, they at least looked edible. Definitely an improvement on England's usual fare.

"You made scones?" Japan asked from behind me. I jumped in surprise.

"Oh, Japan! I didn't hear you coming up…" I said nervously.

"I have been told I am very quiet." He replied, amusement in his voice. I nodded.

"Of course. The ninja training." I eyed him. "You did have ninja training, right? Because I'll be severely disappointed if you didn't." Japan laughed quietly.

"I have mastered several martial arts." He replied. I shrugged.

"Good enough." I decided, before offering the tray of scones to him. "Want some?" I asked. He nodded and took two, biting into one.

"These are good!" He said, swallowing. I shrugged.

"Edible, at least. I actually haven't tried one." Carefully setting the tray down I reached for one of the smaller scones. "Anyways, what's the plan?"

"The plan?" He asked in surprise. I nodded.

"You seem to always be involved in plans and stuff. So where do we go from here?" I asked, biting into my scone.

"Why don't we go back to the table?" Japan suggested. I nodded and dumped the scones onto a plate to bring over.

"I brought snacks!" I announced, setting the plate on the table. Everyone looked at me.

"Scones?" France asked. I nodded.

"Yup! Artie and I made them!" I told him.

"My human name is Arthur, not Artie!" England complained.

"England made these?" France asked, looking suspiciously at the plate of scones.

"I helped." I told him. "And I've taste tested them. They check out." Germany bravely took one, and the others followed his lead. Japan sat down, glancing around.

"By the way, Romano-san and Spain-san are nowhere to be seen. Where are they?" He asked. I frowned, searching the room. Japan was right, no Spain or Romano in sight.

"Since Romano's weapon was fixed, they've gone back into the past to try it out against the Steves." Prussia explained. "If they run into our past selves, they can just lie their asses off."

"Like you, Emma!" Italy said. I winced, remembering my horrible lie.

"I still can't believe that worked." I replied.

"I see. I couldn't even say goodbye." Japan said, before turning to England. "Shouldn't you be with America-san?"

"Every time I approach him that git puts the blanket over his head and won't come out, even when I try and thank him." England complained. "What's he so mad about anyway?"

"Did you know that America had a spell on him?" Italy asked.

"At first I did wonder why you were carrying my magic, but then I realized that my past self must have done it." England explained. "Since you had a shield I thought I might as well leave it at that."

"So Germany, Emma, and I really have it too?" Italy asked.

"Yes, you still have it. If you are ever in danger, it should be able to protect you." England lectured. "Magic itself will be guarding you from physical injury." I could see Japan relax slightly.

"That's reassuring." Germany sighed.

"So, in other words, you magic is protecting us, right?" Italy inquired. "And you can't take it away from us?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Germany said, confused.

"Yeah Italy, if it's protecting you why would you want to have it taken away from you?" Prussia added.

"...England's power is pretty amazing, but it hasn't been completely restored, has it?" Italy said. "Besides, you just used some of it. I think you should be saving some of it."

"Is that how it works?" I asked. "Can England really get power back from undoing an enchantment?" England frowned.

"Usually no, but I bound some of my magic into that ward with the order to protect. It's a powerful protection, but since the magic isn't as structured as a regular enchantment…"

"But the enemy will go after you first." Germany protested. "It would be for the best if you had some kind of protection."

"I'm fine hiding behind you, Captain!" Italy said cheerfully. "I'll be safe as long as I stay behind you, right Germany?"

"And I can hide behind Japan!" I agreed. We both turned to look at England, who still appeared to be in deep thought.


	35. Chapter 35

**Hello again! Here's the English chapter. And a day earlier than usual too! I'm also still looking for cover work. Just message me if you have any. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"I'm fine hiding behind you, Captain!" Italy said cheerfully. "I'll be safe as long as I stay behind you, right Germany?"_

 _"And I can hide behind Japan!" I agreed. We both turned to look at England, who still appeared to be in deep thought._

* * *

"As I said earlier, that magic is tied into your protection and healing. If you want to take it back I will but… is that okay with you, Germany? Japan?" England asked. I felt a twinge of annoyance at having Japan decide for me, but I brushed it away.

"I'll protect him either way." Germany sighed. "Just don't go wandering around anywhere dangerous."

"...I suppose I will follow Germany-san's lead on this." Japan agreed.

"Hey, what about the rest of us?" Prussia added. "We'll protect you guys too! Right, France?"

"Oui, of course." France agreed, smiling at us. "You all get along so well."

"I wouldn't call this getting along…" Germany muttered. I snickered.

"It's certainly better than the Allies." I told him.

"Allies? What Allies?" Italy asked. "Germany, are we part of the Allies?" Oh. It seems that his memory is… not entirely back yet.

"N-no, never mind." I replied. We were all quiet for a moment.

"Italy-kun, your boot is untied." Japan said quietly.

"Ve? Oh, that's true!" Italy agreed, still oblivious to the tense atmosphere. Germany sighed.

"Not again. Oh well. I'll tie it for you. Bend your knee…" I waited for Italy to let Germany tie his boot, but that didn't happen.

"It's okay, I'll do it myself!" Italy told him, bending down to tie his shoe.

"You…" Germany said quietly, confused. I exchanged a glance with Japan.

"Ooh, so you've finally learnt to tie your shoelaces, huh? You've grown up." France teased.

"Yeah, there was no one to do it for me most of the time, so I guess I had to learn!" Italy replied. I winced. For a moment I had forgotten what Italy had been through. "Look Germany, I did it right!" I glanced at Germany, who was looking slightly sick.

"What? Oh, right." Germany said, snapping out of it.

"Yeah! Now even if you're not around, I can do it myself!" Italy continued. "I did my best, sir!" England cleared his throat.

"So...can I have my magic back?" He asked.

"Yeah, go ahead! That will put America's mind at ease." Italy replied.

"What do we have to do?" I agreed.

"Nothing, just stand still." England told us. "I'll take it back." There were a few more lights and England relaxed.

"There. I've got it back. Thank you." He glanced over at the beds, where America was. "As for him… He's young, so it can't be helped, but… with this…"

"Don't even think about that!" America yelled from across the room. I flinched. Of course he'd be listening.

"Uh-oh, this can't be good…" Italy muttered. I couldn't help but agree with him. Italy stood up to go over to America. "America, wait! Calm down!" Germany relaxed.

"Is everything alright, Germany-san?" Japan asked quietly.

"Hm? Oh, yes. Just a little shaken." Germany replied.

"I'd completely forgotten… Italy has so many memories from here that he has been losing his past memories." Japan said.

"But World War Two is such a big thing to lose… Such a traumatic experience…" I murmured.

"I wonder what memories he still has left." France glanced at Germany. "Are you alright? Was it too much of a shock?"

"They'll probably be gone if we can get out of here too…" Prussia said glumly.

"No!" I said, a little loudly. Everyone looked at me. "I mean...You guys are connected to your people, right? So once we get out he probably just needs to mingle with his people a little! Without whatever this place is doing to your Nation powers, his memories will come right back!"

"I hope so." Japan agreed. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm going to check on America." I told them, standing up. "After all I'm one of his people, technically, so I might make him feel better." I picked up the plate with the remaining scones and went over to Italy, America and Canada.

"Canada, calm down!" Italy was panicking.

"I brought food!" I announced. Everyone looked at me as I set the plate down on America's bed. "So, what's the problem?" Canada turned to glare at America.

"Don't you trust me? I have glasses too!" He said. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm quite aware that it's something you have to take seriously!"

"So America's freaking out about losing Texas?" I asked.

"I am not freaking out!" America complained. "I'm the one who dropped them, so I'm the one who has to go and pick them up!"

"Well," I said, thinking. "I'm American, which technically makes me part of you, right? So I can just go and grab them for you!" America groaned.

"That's not how it works!" He complained. "The enemy isn't blind. He'll be able to tell that they're mine, and if by some chance he uses them as a pretext to come after me-"

"He's coming after all of us anyways." I interrupted.

"That's why I said I should go instead of you! Just look at me! We're identical, aren't we?" Canada said. They're not that identical. Just similar. "Even the enemy would be fooled! And you're hurt! If I serve as a decoy-"

"I said, don't even think about that! How may times do I have to lose you?" America yelled at him.

"Well, same here! You're just as horrible! I told you, the enemy can't even see me, so it'll leave me alone! But you had to be an idiot and cover for him!"

"Time out, everybody!" I interrupted, holding my arms above my head in an X shape. "Let's calm down and talk about it like the mature hundreds-of-years-old Nations you are." Canada opened his mouth to say something but I held my hand up. "Nope! You two are taking a moment to cool down. We can find a solution calmly once we're back to normal. So instead, I'm going to talk. And no interruptions, got it?" I gave Canada and America the stink eye. They glared back at me but nodded.

"So," I started. "What I've got so far is that America wants to head back to the annexe to grab his glasses. Canada doesn't want him to go because a) he's injured and b) from the way he's freaking out, he saw America die in another timeline. Am I good so far?" Canada nodded. "So Canada's offering to go down to the annexe instead. However, America's freaking out because at some point in time he saw Canada die?" This last bit was uncertain, but I thought that America could have seen Canada in one of the clock visions.

"...Yes." America agreed sulkily. "A clock memory, from the one I broke in the basement with Japan and England." Ah, so I was right! "Back then, I had no idea that it was something that had actually taken place in the past. So when I watched Japan, Canada, and… England die, I was able to endure it, because I'd been told it was all a lie. But we were wrong. The things I saw were all true… Many of my friends had actually lost their lives…!" I saw that America was panicking again so I placed a hand on his shoulder. He paused for a moment to take a deep breath. "England's magic is a real problem...He'd exceed his own limits and lose his life because of it. So, before it came to that, I wanted to ask for advice about it."

"What?" Italy asked.

"I'd ask you, how can I stop that magic idiot? And then, to save England, you'd lose your lives instead." He clenched his fists. "Sure, we stopped him from using magic! But that's not what I wanted!"

"You asked… for advice…" Italy said quietly.

"Whenever we ran into the enemy, like this time, someone would always die! And England, with his strange powers, was the one who died the most!" America continued. "If I asked you for advice, it'd be you… If I didn't, it'd be England… With only those two choices, I don't really have a choice! But… since I couldn't choose between you… I figured all I could do was fight alone!"

"So, did you ever ask me anything?!" England's angry voice came from behind us. I turned to see England and Japan. "Did you ever tell me not to overuse my magic? Did you even once talk to me about it?"

"...No, but…" Oooh. America's in for it now.

"Then why don't you try it?" England finished, glaring at him. America didn't say anything, pretending to be asleep. "I see. I know what you were thinking. Listen, when that burger maniac feigning sleep wakes up, tell him that no one said there should only be one hero."

"England, what are you going to do?" Italy panicked as England began to walk away.

"See if I care about you, you bloody wanker!" England yelled back, disappearing in a flash of light.

"England!" America yelled, jumping out of bed. He ran out the door. I glanced at Japan.

"I'm going." I told him.

"Emma-kun, w-" Japan started, but I was already sprinting after America.


	36. Chapter 36

**Hello again! Sorry this chapter is a bit late, it really didn't want to be written. Or it did, just not when I actually sat down to do it. And thus it is a little short. But hey, at least I got some Japan/Emma in! (Empan? Japemma?) Anyways, I still need a cover! It doesn't need to be drawn or anything, just photo shopping a title onto an image will do. I would do so, but I am seriously bad at photoshop.**

 **The next part will contain a few spoilers for the chapter, so be warned. I didn't want anyone in the Mansion to come out with anything totally irreversible, which is why I didn't make England go blind. And I also looked up the voltage for defibrillators which are at a minimum 300 volts (I think). Earlier I said that the clock room produced 10-15 milliamps, which isn't even one volt. However, I will think of a way around this. I may already have a solution.**

 **End of spoilers! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Emma-kun, w-" Japan started, but I was already sprinting after America._

* * *

I was smaller and faster than America, so I caught up to him quickly.

"Annex?" I asked.

"Yeah." He replied. I nodded and pulled ahead of him, racing down the stairs. It was a miracle that I didn't fall. I burst into the Annex's library room just as England cast a spell.

"Sectumsempra!" He yelled, making a slashing motion with his hand. A thin cut opened up across Giant Steve's chest.

"England!" I called, slowing down a bit. America was right behind me.

"England!" He yelled as well.

"Tsk, you're already here?" England said, breathing heavily. "Just shut up and watch how great my powers are!" I began moving towards him and the door opened again.

"There you are!" Italy said from behind us. Giant Steve slashed, nicking England's shoulder.

"Ow! How about this, then?" England yelled at it.

"P-please, stop…" America said. It sounded like it was crying. I grabbed England's uninjured shoulder.

"This will be your end!" England yelled.

"STOP E-ENGLAND, DON'T DO IT!" I heard America screamed. It seemed quieter though, almost far away. There were bright flashes of light everywhere and I swayed.

"What?" England said, but his voice sounded far away too. But… that can't be right, can it? He's right next to me. I was touching his shoulder, I could feel it.

I'm so tired. And hungry. I could really go for a…

"Gonna sleep now." I muttered dully. "G'night."

"Emma!" England's far away voice said. I toppled over, losing consciousness before I hit the ground.

* * *

When I woke up I was seriously annoyed with how many times I had fallen unconscious while in the Mansion.

"She...up!" Someone said.

"Alrea...y?" Another asked. I blinked and saw America, England and Italy kneeling above me. My eyes focused on England. Wasn't I supposed to be mad at him for… the magic thing? Yes, something to do with magic. I reached up and somehow ended up smearing my hand across his face.

"Bad." I told him. He better feel properly chastised, because I didn't feel like doing much else.

"How do you feel?" Italy asked. I blinked. How did I feel?

"Tired." I decided. "Hungry. No energy." My stomach grumbled to emphasize my point.

"I have a rice ball on me." America suggested. I perked up. Food sounded really good right now, and seeing it made me realize how starved I was.

"Gimme." I ordered, reaching up for it. America gave it to me and supported my upper body so it would be easier to eat. As I ate I could feel my energy return. "How long have I been out?"

"Only five minutes." England supplied. "Which is surprising, considering the amount of energy I took from you."

"You took energy from me?" I asked. England nodded sheepishly.

"I overdid it on the spell, so when you placed your hand on my shoulder I took the extra energy I needed from you." He explained. "Since you're not magical I couldn't take magical energy from you, so I took your physical energy instead. Thankfully this should be cured with a few decent meals and several days of bed rest." I nodded, the fog in my head starting to clear as I finished the food.

"Better?" America asked.

"A bit." I decided. Italy smiled happily.

"Well then, since Steve is gone I'll find America's glasses so that we can take you back to safety!" He got up and started moving around. "They aren't in here, but maybe they're in the other room? I'll go take a look." He left.

"Do you think you can stand?" England asked.

"Maybe." I replied. "Help me up." They managed to get me into a kneeling position when Japan, Germany and Prussia ran in.

"Emma-kun!" Japan said, relieved. He was beside me instantly. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Just tired." I reassured him.

"She just needs food and bed rest." England informed them.

"Well, problem solved then?" Prussia asked. "Is Steve dead?" Japan hugged me, and for a moment I was taken aback by his forwardness.

"I'm fine, Japan." I told him again, hugging him briefly. Japan moved back, a light blush tinging his cheeks.

"Ah… please excuse me for my disregard for personal space." He apologized. I grinned.

"That was very rash of you England." Germany was saying to England. "However, we can now explore this section without worry."

"Why is that?" Japan asked. I frowned.

"Because the enemy that was loitering around here is gone…" America trailed off. I felt my heart drop into my stomach as I realised what Japan was saying.

"How do we know that it was the only one?" I asked quietly.

"Wait, where's Italy? He should have come after you…" Germany asked.

"He want to look for my glasses in that room." America said, pointing at the adjacent door. The room shook and I almost fell, but Japan steadied me.

"That sound! It came from that room-" Prussia started.

"Italy!" Germany yelled. He, Prussia and America ran over to the room. England made to get up as well but he was swaying.

"Damn." He muttered. "It seems that I have less energy than I thought."

"What's going on?" I asked, craning my neck to try and see where the others had gone.

"Would you allow me to pick you up…?" Japan asked hesitantly. I nodded. With all of my energy gone I could barely kneel, let alone stand. He picked me up bridal style.

"Oh, America's glasses. They were underneath you all along." England noted, picking them up from where I'd been sitting.

"ITALY!" Came Germany's heart-wrenching yell. We rushed over to the room just in time to hear Germany's diagnosis. "Italy's heart... has… stopped." I could feel Japan's shoulders tensing.

"Italy!" He said. The others made way for him and knelt down, placing me beside Italy's body. His hands moved to Italy's neck as he tried to find a pulse.

I was internally panicking. Italy was dead? But… that wasn't supposed to happen! No one was supposed to die, we were supposed to win! And if Italy was the only one who could change back time, he was really gone. We couldn't save him. I had failed, it was game over.

"...No." I said quietly. "NO! I refuse! There has to be some way to restart his heart! Can someone do CPR or something?" Japan immediately began chest compressions.

"We don't have a defibrillator!" America said back. "It's hopeless!"

"No it's not!" I shouted at him. There had to be a way! We just needed electricity. Where was electricity in the manor? The house had electricity for lights, but those wouldn't work. Think!

"Now the punishment for failing is more severe, probably 10-15 milliamps." I said.

"What?" America asked.

"The room upstairs! It electrocuted us, didn't it?" I asked.

"But that's only a fraction of the electricity needed to restart a heart!" Germany protested. "We would need at least 300 volts!" I glared at him.

"We've got to at least try!" I shot back. Germany paused, swallowed, and nodded. Japan finished the last series of compressions and Germany scooped Italy up, running out of the room. Prussia, America and England followed them. I tried to stand up, completely forgetting how weak I was. My vision blurred and I swayed. Japan caught me and picked me up again.

"Sleep." He told me. "I'll bring you to the safe room." I nodded and curled up against him, letting my exhaustion overcome me.


	37. Chapter 37

**Hello again! Skysword asked about Japan calling Emma 'Emma-kun' in a review, so I thought I'd explain the reason I had him call her that here. I only know the basics of the Japanese honorific system, so I looked it up. "Although** ** _kun_** **is generally used for boys, it is not a hard rule. For example, kun can be used to name a close personal friend or family member of any gender. In business settings, young female employees are addressed as** ** _kun_** **by older males of senior status. It can be used by male teachers addressing their female students." -Wikipedia. I figured that Japan would use it in the business setting sort of way so that he is acknowledging Emma as someone younger than him without the familiarity of -chan. I also thought that calling her Emma-chan sounded weird, so I scrapped that.**

 **I would also like to apologize for this chapter being a day late. I was busy this weekend, and this chapter is a doozy. And finally, the last bit is Japan explaining his feelings on Emma. It's felt sort of awkward. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Sleep." He told me. "I'll bring you to the safe room." I nodded and curled up against him, letting my exhaustion overcome me._

Everything was dark. Where was I? It didn't look like any room in the Mansion. It didn't look like anything at all. I glanced down. I still had a body. That was good. I took a step forward. Everything seemed to be in working order. I glanced around again. There was something in the distance. Or perhaps it was close. There was nothing to judge it on.

Might as well go towards it.

It grew pretty quickly, so it must not have been too far away. Wait a moment, there's two things. One is a Steve, and the other…

"Italy?" I called. He didn't hear me, so I sped up. Almost there… Did he just disappear? "Italy!"

"What are you doing here." It's that voice! The one that I keep hearing in my head! I finally caught up to Steve, but he disappeared too. Not in the same way Italy had, though. "I didn't mean to bring you in here."

"Shut up voice, I'm trying to figure out where I am!" I scolded it. Suddenly, there was a boy where Steve had been. A strikingly familiar boy. "Holy Rome?" The boy smirked.

"Not quite. And I can answer your question. We're in a mindscape." He tilted his head slightly. "Or at least, I think that's what you'd call it."

"So you're not Holy Rome?" I clarified. Not Holy Rome ignored me.

"What to do with you." He muttered. "I can't have you interfering with my talk. But I don't want you wandering around in here until you wake up."

"Who are you talking with? Italy?" I asked. Not Holy Rome sighed.

"I suppose I'll simply put you in one of my containment areas. Dammit, I don't have time for this!" He pointed at me and I was suddenly enclosed in a glass sphere.

"Wha- Let me out!" I yelled at him.

"The glass is very hard to break. This should be good enough until I can put you somewhere more satisfactory." He decided before snapping his fingers. "Now be quiet." The scene changed into a golden meadow. My sphere was hidden among the trees, and suddenly tinted green. Not Holy Rome was standing just at the edge of the meadow.

"Italy!" He called. I blinked. I hadn't noticed Italy kneeling in the center of the meadow, as my attention had been focused towards Not Holy Rome.

"You...are…" Italy said, staring at the imposter.

"I have looked for you, Italy." Not Holy Rome said, smiling gently.

"Hol-" Italy said, stopping himself. "Holy Roman Empire…"

"That's not him! Don't believe him, he's just a fake! He's not Holy, or Roman, or an Empire!" I shouted. "Well, to be fair neither was the real Holy Rome. But that doesn't matter, this still isn't who you think it is!"

"Oh…" Italy said. I don't think he heard me. This glass must be soundproof or something. But then how could I hear them?

"Long time no see, Italy." The imposter said.

"Y-Yeah. Um, I… I mean, I…" Italy stammered.

"Italy." Not Holy Rome interrupted.

"What?" Italy asked.

"You don't have to talk to me as if we were still children. I know everything." Huh, I didn't realize that Not Holy Rome looked Italy's age now.

"Okay." Italy accepted. "Long time no see… Holy Roman Empire." This prompted another round of glass banging from me.

"Yes." Not Holy Rome agreed.

"You're… all grown up." Italy said.

"That's not Holy Rome!" I tried again.

"Because you wished so." Not Holy Rome told Italy. Huh. Because he wished so…

"What?" Italy asked, confused.

"This is a place where your wishes are fulfilled. There was no way I could win against that guy when I was little. That's why I asked you for that favor, Italy." Not Holy Rome explained. Would that work for me?

"Was it you who showed me the way just now?" Italy asked. I pressed my hand against the glass and tried to imagine it disappearing. Nothing happened.

"Yes. I was able to repel it somewhat, but not completely." Not Holy Rome shot be a quick glance over Italy's shoulder. I stuck my tongue out at him. "...I'm sorry." So my attempt to get out was enough to get his attention.

"N-No! It's okay! Um…" Italy tried. Not Holy Rome looked at him questioningly. "Th-This is kinda awkward for me. You being a grown up, I mean." Then wish him away!

"I can imagine. If you don't like it, you can wish for me to be little again. You would probably feel more at ease with my younger self." Holy Rome suggested. It was sort of unsettling that we suggested similar things.

"Uh, n-no! I mean, this is definitely awkward, but… How can I put this?" He sighed. "I'm glad that I can look you in the eyes without having to look down." I can see how that would be awkward.

"I see. That's good." Not Holy Rome said. Oh, right! I almost forgot that I had to find a way out of this stupid bubble.

"So, where are we?" Italy inquired, glancing around. Maybe if I could just make the glass more flexible? I pressed my hand against it and I could feel that it was slightly more malleable under my fingers.

"Hm? Oh… right." Not Holy Rome said, his eyes once again flicking to me. "Sorry, but we're keeping them waiting. Let's go back first." I pressed into the glass harder and it stretched.

"Who are you talking about?" Italy asked. Almost there…

"You will know if you come with me. Let's go." Not Holy Rome replied quickly.

"O-Ok." Italy said as I pushed my fingers out of the bubble. Then the scene changed again, and I was inside the basement cell of the Mansion.

* * *

"Okay Japan, spill." Prussia said, plopping down beside him. Japan glanced at him from his seat in between Emma and Italy's beds.

"What is it you want me to 'spill', Prussia-san?" He asked.

"Emma! I'm pretty sure that it's an open secret that you've got a crush on her. So what gives? It's not like you to fall this quickly!" Prussia replied bluntly. A faint blush appeared in Japan's cheeks.

"I was not aware that you was being so obvious that everybody would know…" He muttered. Prussia sighed exasperatedly.

"You keep on going out of the way to keep her safe and shit! Even America could tell that something was up. But I'm pretty sure that you avoided my question." He raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Need me to ask it again?"

"No," Japan told him, sounding defeated. "It is… slightly embarrassing though." Prussia nodded in a 'go on' gesture. "Well… It has been proven that in life threatening situations experience an increased level of attraction." Prussia had to stop himself from laughing.

"Wait, are you pretty much saying that you're horny?" He asked.

"NO!" Japan defended, his face turning beet red. "That is extremely inappropriate Prussia-san, and not the issue. I believe that it simply has me…" He trailed off. "No, that is not the way to say it. I suppose that I have simply been more open to a romantic relationship than I normally would. I can recognize this, and am ashamed to say that it has made me act irrationally in the heat of the moment at times." Japan ignored Prussia's snicker. "However, I believe that the best option would be to get out of the mansion safely so that I may sort out my feelings for her and ascern whether they are genuine or formed from the life threatening situation."

"I guess that's one way to look at it." Prussia agreed. "But you've been going a little overboard." Japan sighed.

"As I previously stated, I have gotten carried away. It has been many years since I have felt this sort of attraction. It also does not help that Emma-kun repeatedly gets herself into dangerous situations, despite the fact that she is not as capable as the rest of us." Japan explained.

"She's not completely helpless!" Prussia defended. "She can fight."

"She barely knows how to wield her katana and she is not as naturally resilient as the rest of us. We also have years of experience with battle and tactics." Japan countered. Prussia simply shrugged.

"Fair enough." He admitted. "But then why aren't the rest of us feeling this 'attraction' you were talking about. We're all in the same life-threatening situation!"

"Perhaps some of us are." Japan replied, his eyes wandering around the room. "Have you not noticed America getting slightly more worked up about England than usual? Or Italy clinging to Germany more? I have not seen him so reliant since the last World War."

"I have noticed that something was off." Prussia said, frowning. "But I didn't know that England and America were a thing! When did this happen?"

"I do not believe that it has happened yet." Japan told him, gazing thoughtfully at the pair. "The attraction simply shows us the possibilities that there are. Perhaps once we get out of this place the relationships will fall apart. Perhaps the shared experience will draw them closer. I'm afraid that I do not know." Prussia sighed.

"This sucks." He complained. "I'm already bored of this stupid mansion." Japan smiled slightly.

"I believe that we can all share that sentiment, Prussia-san." He replied quietly.


	38. Chapter 38

**Hello again! Sorry for the brief hiatus, my inspiration was drained out of me by copious amounts of schoolwork. This chapter just didn't want to be written, but it's necessary for the plot. At least it's over now, but the next chapter's probably going to be just as tricky. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"This sucks." He complained. "I'm already bored of this stupid mansion." Japan smiled slightly._

 _"I believe that we can all share that sentiment, Prussia-san." He replied quietly._

* * *

How did I get here? Was I somehow back in the real world, or still in the mindscape? Where was Italy? And Not Holy Rome?

Calm down. I glanced around. Everything looked exactly as I remembered it. I got out of here once, didn't I? I could do it again. Just had to slip through the bars.

Well that failed. This must be the mindscape then, since I'm pretty sure that I hadn't gotten fatter between then and now. If anything I'd lost weight, which probably wasn't a good thing. That probably came from all of the running. Before being transported into another world I wasn't unfit, but I didn't exercise if I didn't have to.

My exercising habits aside, I really needed to get out of here. Could I do the same thing I did with the bubble? I pushed against the bars, trying to make them melt or bend. Still nothing.

"Arrg!" I groaned, sitting against the wall. "Who the hell is that kid anyways? Nothing here makes sense!" I sat there for a moment, but got no reply. Was I really expecting one?

"I need to get out of here before I drive myself insane." I decided. "Talking to yourself probably isn't a good sign, but what do I know?" I paused. "Dammit. I did it again."

So I was in the mindscape, but I couldn't break the bars. In the real world America, Prussia, and France waited for us to find them but I didn't think that was going to happen in here. Still… it wasn't like I had a choice. At least Not Holy Rome said something about me waking up, but would Italy wake up too? I wanted us both out of here!

Speaking (or thinking) of Not Holy Rome, what was with that bubble he made? How did he summon it? And how did I bend it? No, I already knew the reason. I wanted it to happen so it did, yet that wasn't working now.

"Stupid anime worlds and their stupid rules…" I muttered, forgetting my resolution to not talk out loud from earlier. "Then again, if I really do have some form of control over this place I should be able to do something." Could I make something, like Not Holy Rome did?

I sighed. "It's not like I have anything else to do." Might as well start small. I didn't know what the limits were. Something like… my katana. I hadn't realized before, but I didn't have it on me. It wasn't as small as I originally wanted, but it would be good to have a weapon in here.

Now what? I had no idea how to make things appear out of thin air. Do I just concentrate? Think happy thoughts? Believe in myself?

...I'll stick with concentrating for now.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine my katana. When I first got it I had hit Japan with it, even though it was sheathed. Then he helped put it on, and I had gotten used to the weight. The blade was plain, but sharp.

I focused on the weight some more, to the point that I could feel it. I opened my eyes and my katana was resting on my hip as usual. I grinned. Strange anime mind thing for the win!

I winced. "Not thinking that again." I muttered, drawing the sword. Spinning dramatically, I pointed it at the door do the cell. Nothing happened. I sighed.

"Well that was neat. So… what next?" How do I break out of prison? I swung the blade around, trying to think. I could try to think up some sort of lockpicking device, but I didn't know enough about them. And forcing my way out would need something too heavy to lift or some sort of explosives that would end up hurting me. Or…

"Magic." I muttered, holding up the katana. "I suppose this is an anime, and England was using it earlier. Maybe I can make this a magic anime sword?" The katana was already pretty sharp. What if I made it sharper? So sharp it could cut through metal?

I turned and slashed at the wall, trying to focus on making a super sharp sword. Surprisingly it made a scratch in the stone. I turned towards the bars. If I could cut off the hinges, the door should fall out.

I raised my katana again. A downward strike should be powerful to break the hinges.

CLANG

One down, one to go.

CLANG

"Freedom!" I announced, raising the katana over my head. "Time to go find Italy!"

* * *

Finding Italy was harder than I thought. Time was strange but it felt like I had been wandering around the mansion for hours without seeing anyone. Eventually I had just ended up in the piano room. I figured that if I play enough, and loudly enough, the noise should draw them to me.

Slamming on the keys I began to play a song with a quick and cheerful beat. No one came, so I played the next one.

I was on my third song when Japan entered the room. My fingers faltered on the keys. Why was he here? Had he been drawn into this world as well?

"You shouldn't be here." He told me. Something about his voice sounded… off. "We can't have you in the way. We need to get you out of Italy's mind." He drew his sword and I flinched. This wasn't Japan. "By force."

I stood up and drew my sword shakily. If this Japan had the same skills as my Japan I was fucked.

"Japan!" A voice called. We both froze as Italy poked his head into the room. "I know you and Holy Rome said not to come in here, but- Emma!" My face split into a grin.

"Italy! I've been looking for you!" I told him. He glanced between Japan and I.

"Are… You guys fighting?" Italy asked. Not Japan and I glanced at each other.

"Nah, he was probably just surprised to see me. After all, I'm not in this world, am I?" I covered for him. Why did I do that? We were just about to kill each other!

"Oh. Well, you don't have to worry Japan, Emma's with me! And she's harmless!" He reassured.

"Hey!" I protested. "I could harm something if I wanted to!" Italy laughed.

"Of course you can, but not Japan!" He replied. "Come on, I want to introduce you to Holy Rome! Do you know him?" I frowned.

"Yeah, I know about Holy Rome." But I knew nothing of the fake. We needed a way out of here.

Unfortunately, I had no idea how to do that.

* * *

"Who's this?" Not Holy Rome asked, giving me a hard look. Ha! Take that, faker!

I smirked at him. "Emma Brune. Nice to meet you, Holy Rome."

"I know you told me not to go into the piano room but I saw Japan go in there so I thought I would be fine! And there was no scary monster in there, just Emma, so everything is fine!" Italy said, completely missing the tension between Not Holy Rome and I. Not Holy Rome smiled, though it looked forced.

"That's great. I'm fine with having new… friends." He said. Italy smiled brightly at us.

"Now that's settled, let's go exploring!" He turned and walked down the hall. Not Holy Rome and I glared at each other, then followed. There was no way I was letting either of them out of my sight.

* * *

"...So, it's weakening?" France asked, looking down at Italy's unconscious body.

"Hai." Japan confirmed, also looking at his friend. "And Emma-kun isn't waking up either."

"I'm sorry… I should have kept calm…" England murmured.

"No. I was too stubborn, too." America argued. He was sitting at Emma's bedside.

"So, Emma is in a coma, Italy's heart is weakened… There have been quite a few casualties, huh?" Russia asked.

"Japan, haven't you been through a series of battles? I can't tell you to go to sleep, but you should at least rest." China said. Japan shook his head.

"No, I'm not." He replied firmly. "At any rate, now we…"

"Italy is the only one who can go back in time, right?" Prussia asked. "Though I heard something about England being able to do it too…"

"Y-yeah." England confirmed.

"Now that his magic is next to zero, he can't do anything. Even if he made up for it with his life, I don't think it would be enough." America protested.

"You're right, it wouldn't." England agreed.

"But what about the thing that Emma did? Surely if we put all of our energy together…" Canada started, but England shook his head.

"Taking energy from someone forcibly… it isn't good." He said. "Especially physical energy. And time travel is a difficult thing. The stones I gave the travelers should still be good though, since they draw on this place's natural magic."

"Can't you draw on the natural magic too?" Prussia asked.

"No. It's the wrong type of power." England replied.

"Well there's no way we're getting out of here with these two in this state, right West?" Prussia said. Germany didn't respond, as he was too busy staring at his best friend. "Germany? Are you listening?" Germany pulled himself out of his stupor.

"Hm? What was that?" He asked. Prussia sighed.

"Pull yourself together." He told his brother. "This is a very important meeting to decide our future. You have to bear with it." Germany remained silent.

"Germany…" Japan said. Germany blinked.

"Sorry. I'm fine. I've grown up too, I'm no longer the coward I used to be." He said. America sighed.

"Why don't we take a quick break, since we can't pay attention to the topic." He announced, standing up. Everyone dispersed quietly. Japan and Germany sat between the two beds.

"...We're not leaving them, are we?" Germany asked. Japan shook his head.

"No, we aren't."


	39. Chapter 39

**Hello again! I haven't abandoned this story, and I'm determined to see it through until the end! Only a few more chapters, as I'm having this be the end of the canon game. And I've got an ending planned out, but I've still got to write it. Unfortunately more free time this summer just leads to more procrastinating, but as previously stated I'M NOT ABANDONING THIS STORY. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"...We're not leaving them, are we?" Germany asked. Japan shook his head._

 _"No, we aren't."_

* * *

Not Holy Rome and I were not getting along well. We made snide comments at each other, tripped each other, and I'm pretty sure he kept on 'accidentally' slamming doors it my face. Italy was so happy with seeing what he thought was Holy Rome again that he didn't notice. Or if he did, he ignored our bickering.

When he made a board loosen and trip me I'd had enough.

"Gaaah!" I yelled, glaring into his smirking face. "Would you stop? Or at least do something productive? Because so far all we've done is walk in circles while you subtly hit on Italy!"

"Well maybe if you didn't stick your nose into our business, we would be making progress. After all, how is a human like you supposed to keep up?"

"Holy Rome, that was a little harsh." Italy interrupted. Not Holy Rome immediately backed off, but I stayed offensive. Not Holy Rome had done an excellent job of pissing me off for the short amount of time we had known each other.

"He's not even Holy Rome! He's a fake!" I announced, glaring at him. He looked mildly surprised by my revelation, but Italy was stunned. "I don't know why he's doing it, probably to get close to you for some reason, but he's definitely not Holy Rome!"

"And what makes you say that?" Not Holy Rome asked calmly, moving a little closer to Italy. I glared at him even more.

"Y-Yeah, why don't you think he's real?" Italy agreed.

"Because Holy Rome isn't dead!" I burst out, before freezing. Shit. I hadn't wanted to interfere with the secret everyone had been keeping from him for hundred, maybe even thousands of years. They must have had a reason, right? But I was 90% sure that Germany was really just Holy Rome with a new memory.

"So it finally comes out." Not Holy Rome sighed. "It's about time." His form changed to that of a young asian boy, maybe around ten years old.

"What?" I asked, confused. It sounded like he wanted me to reveal this particular secret.

"Time to wake up." The child announced, his eyes screwing up in concentration. The world once again turned black.

* * *

I woke up with the worst headache I'd ever had. There were also loud noises, which didn't help the headache. Could they all just shut up? Or just… not yell?

When had I decided that the noises were yelling?

"He's….up….check…." There were words now. This whole waking up after getting knocked out process seemed unnecessarily long.

"Is….stable?" I wondered who they were talking about. They said he earlier, so they couldn't be talking about me. Well, the only way to find out is opening my eyes.

The room was blurry at first. The light made my head hurt even more, so I had to close my eyes for a bit longer. When I had finally adjusted to the pain I could tell that several people were gathered next to the bed next to me. I focused on one, who happened to be China. He was holding a mixture that I could smell from where I was at.

"He isn't deteriorating." China said, doing something to the person in the bed next to me. I think it was Italy.

"Will he make it?" Another person fretted. I couldn't see them from my position, but from his accent I identified it as Prussia.

"Hopefully yes. But we should really get him out of here as soon as possible. Hopefully our Nation abilities will help him fully recover." Canada replied.

"Have Spain and Romano come back yet?" France asked.

"Not yet." England replied. "But I sent them a message. Apparently Romano collapsed at some point, but he's fine now. They also had a run in with my past self, who was rather uncooperative." I made a mental inventory. I could see America, England, China, Canada, France, and Germany. There was also someone who might be Japan that I could see out of the corner of my eye. I'd also heard Prussia talk, probably Italy in the bed, and Spain and Romano were in the past. That left Russia the only one I hadn't seen. Everyone seemed safe, so I decided to close my eyes again. The light really did hurt, and I could think about what had happened in my… dream? Was that all just a dream? I would have to check with Italy and see if he had experienced it too. And if it was a dream, it was a strange one. I'd never had anything against Holy Rome before, so why would my subconscious tell me he's fake?

I think I'm going to go back to sleep. I hadn't noticed it before, but I was really, really tired. And hungry too. Maybe I could have some food when I wake up.

* * *

My second time waking up was much less chaotic. And there was someone nearby this time.

"Ah, you are awake." Russia told me. "I thought I saw your eyes open before, but I wasn't sure." I hummed, not feeling up to responding.

"Do you want some soup?" He asked, offering a bowl. "It is nice and hot." Food sounded really good. Hadn't England said something about draining my energy?

I opened my mouth to accept it, but I only ended up making some sort of whining noise. I frowned. This was not an acceptable noise at the moment. I wanted food, and rebellious vocal chords was not going to stop me.

"I will take that as a yes." Russia replied. "Here, let me help you up." He was surprisingly gentle for someone of his size and reputation. He fed me soup as he talked to me.

"I should probably tell the others that you are awake. But the quiet is nice, is it not? So I will get them once you are done eating. You scared them when we couldn't wake you up. You were sleeping for what seemed like a day. Everyone's getting rest right now, but they just fell asleep. When I saw you waking up I got some of the leftover soup from dinner." I hummed in acknowledgement and thanks, hoping that the message got through. "You are welcome."

We sat in silence for a while while he fed me soup. Eventually I had to stop eating, so I shook my head slightly when he offered the next spoonful.

"You are done?" He asked. I made a positive humming sound. "I will get the others then. They were very worried." I smiled in thanks and Russia got up. I listened to the sounds of him waking everyone up, and my vision soon filled with people.

"You're awake! I was starting to worry, Em." America said. I winced at the noise level.

"You shouldn't be so loud, America." England scolded. "She's very tired."

"I am glad to see that you are awake, Emma-kun." Japan said. I grinned at him, wishing I could give him a thumbs up or something. Unfortunately my limbs didn't want to respond.

"Has she eaten anything?" Canada asked, eyeing the half empty bowl of soup.

"Da, I fed her." Russia replied. I hummed and flicked my eyes over to Italy's bed. Thankfully France seemed to understand.

"Italy is… not as good as you are at the moment. But he isn't in danger of dying." He told me. I nodded and glanced around my bed. Italy, Spain, and Romano were the only ones missing.

"You should get more rest. Draining physical energy is not a fun process." England told me. I grunted in protest.

"Hasn't she been sleeping enough?" Prussia agreed.

"And we should check her, to make sure she isn't hurt." Canada added. England sighed but nodded. Canada sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"It seems like you understand us. Anything hurt?" He asked. I nodded. "What hurts?" I hummed in annoyance.

"Is it your head?" England asked. I nodded. "Is is bad?" I nodded again.

"Can you feel your fingers?" Canada continued. I nodded. "Can you move them?" I concentrated and was able to get one of my hands to twitch. "And the other one?" It took a little longer, but I moved that one too. "How about your feet?"

Canada continued with these sort of questions until he was sure that I had nothing worse than severe exhaustion. He sat back.

"I looks like the best thing we can do is let her sleep and feed her." He diagnosed. I smiled at him. "We should have someone keep watch over her and feed her when she wakes up."

"I'll do it." Japan immediately volunteered. I yawned.

"Get some sleep. We'll still be here when you wake up!" America said cheerfully. I frowned. With Steve running around in this place for all I knew they could be dead when I woke up.

"That's probably not the best word choice." England told him.

"Don't worry, we won't leave while you're asleep." Prussia reassured me. I hummed again before closing my eyes. It took a while, but I finally fell asleep once again.


	40. Chapter 40

**Hello again! Guess who's still alive! Sorry about the long wait, but my motivation just left me. Have a long chapter to make up for it. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Get some sleep. We'll still be here when you wake up!" America said cheerfully. I frowned. With Steve running around in this place for all I knew they could be dead when I woke up._

 _"That's probably not the best word choice." England told him._

 _"Don't worry, we won't leave while you're asleep." Prussia reassured me. I hummed again before closing my eyes. It took a while, but I finally fell asleep once again._

* * *

The next time I awoke, Italy had awakened as well. He hadn't said anything, and had instead chosen to stare at Germany.

"So." I said to him. "You know." Italy didn't say anything for a while, but I wasn't going anywhere.

"They knew." He said quietly. "They all knew, and they… they didn't tell me." He finally tore his eyes off Germany to look at me. "Why wouldn't they tell me? I have- had- right to know!" He was working himself into a panic, and I made calming gestures with my hands.

"What difference would it make? The Holy Rome that you knew is gone, Italy. They didn't want you to treat Germany differently just because he used to be someone that you knew." I winced internally. Apparently I was not good at dealing with panicked Italians. "And besides, it's no use asking me. I don't know what was going through their heads! But I think that they just avoided telling you at first because it was so new, and then they couldn't bring themselves to tell you because it would be so awkward. I mean, they can't just say 'Hey Italy, remember your childhood love that was killed? Well guess what, he's been alive all along and is secretly your best frie-"

"Emma." Italy interrupted softly, and I fell silent. He seemed to be trying to find the right words. "I know they had reasons, but I just…" I thought I saw his eyes filling with tears. "I loved Holy Rome, and I thought I had seen him again. But it wasn't him, it was all a lie, and Holy Rome isn't Holy Rome any more, so he is dead, and I won't ever see him again!"

Shit. Was this what Not Holy Rome wanted? To completely… to completely break Italy? If it was, I walked right into his trap.

"Feliciano," I started, deciding to use his human name, "People- and Nations- change. Ludwig was just more rapid than most." I took a deep breath, hoping that I was helping, not making it worse. "You just… didn't get to see it."

He fell silent after that, and I wished I had the energy to go over and hug him.

* * *

"...Hey, Japan?" I asked. Japan was sitting next to me drawing as I wrote in my journal.

"Hai?"

"What's it like being a Nation?" I finished quietly, studying him out of the corner of my eye. His shoulders tensed and I immediately backtracked. "You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable!"

"It is fine. I simply didn't expect the question." Japan reassured me, glancing down at his drawing. He was silent as he thought. "...Lonely." He finally decided. "You see many people over the years, but none of them stay with you. And interacting with other Nations can be… difficult, as politics get in the way. Many of us try to remove ourselves from humans, but it never really works. Humans and Nations have an interesting relationship." I nodded attentively.

"You're connected, right? Since humans make up Nations." It felt weird to be calling people humans, but I shook it off.

"Hai. Our people are a part of us. If they feel strongly about a certain topic, we will most likely imitate them. Sometimes, it feels like our thoughts are not our own. And they are heavily influenced by our people, so I suppose that our thoughts and actions do not belong to ourselves, but to them." He sighed heavily. "But that is part of being a Nation, so we accept it. I hope that answers your question, Emma-kun." I nodded thoughtfully. This certainly was a lot to take in. My attention shifted to a different topic.

"Can you just call me Emma?" I asked absently. Japan looked startled by this. "I'm not entirely sure what it means to not use an honorific, but…"

"You usually drop an honorific when speaking to someone you are close to." Japan explained. "Whether it be a family member, a close friend… or a lover." I could feel heat rising in my cheeks. "It is generally a sign of informality." Japan wasn't looking at me. I braced myself for the conversation to come. Since I was stuck in bed and neither of us were going anywhere, this would probably be the best time.

"Japan." I started. "I have gathered that you have… feelings for me." I winced internally. This sounded way too formal.

"...I do." Japan replied. At least he wasn't denying it.

"And I think we should talk. About those feelings." I had expected this to be awkward, but not this early in the conversation!

"Ah."

"Yeah." I tired to figure out how I was going to do this. During my resting time, I had figured out what I wanted to say, but not how I was going to get to saying it.

"...Do you return my feelings?" Japan asked, his face carefully blank.

"I…" Damn it, this was no time to become tongue-tied! "I'm not sure. I think I would need to hang out with you more in a situation that wasn't… this." I gestured to the Mansion around me. "But I think that I would. In a different situation."

"So your conclusion?" Japan asked, his face still blank.

"I… want to wait. If you're okay with that." I told him, holding my breath. Despite my knowledge of him through Hetalia, I wasn't entirely sure how he would react. Thankfully he smiled.

"I can wait." Japan agreed.

"I just think that with everyone nearly dying and us being trapped, I that this isn't the right time to develop a relationship." I pressed, wanting him to know that this wasn't a no. "But if we ever get out of here I'm willing to consider it?"

"I understand." He told me, pausing for a moment. "Now that you know what it means, are you sure that you are alright with me not using honorifics?" I nodded as tension drained out of my body.

"Can we use it as close friends? At least for now?" I asked.

"I am fine with that… Emma." Japan said. I fiddled with my pencil for a moment as I tried to figure out how to move the conversation off of the topic now that it had been covered.

"...Can you tell me more about your culture?" I asked. Japan nodded and the last of his blank mask from before dropped away.

"I would be happy to."

* * *

Most of my energy had recovered and I was extremely bored with my bed. I'd had plenty of visitors, but I still wanted to physically move around. Italy was in the bed beside me but he wasn't good for conversation at the moment. I think he was still trying to absorb the whole Hoy Rome is Germany issue. I left him to it, considering how badly I had tried to comfort him before. On the plus side, I did hear some great stories about the Nations' histories. According to Prussia, America had accidentally run into England in a bar during the American Revolutionary War. England had been amazingly drunk and declared his everlasting love for a bar stool.

I had made note of these stories in my journal. There were only about ten blank pages left at the back of the book. I had turned into quite the historian. Which, I suppose, was really the best word for it considering the nature of the stories I had recorded.

Russia and China entered the room and I glanced up, suddenly going to attention as I noticed the books and papers they were carrying. The pair had left earlier on a scouting mission to the annexe. It was the only place we hadn't explored, so hopefully it had some sort of clue to how to get out of this place. Or maybe even the purpose of that two part key we found a while ago.

The Nations gathered at the big table we used for meetings, which frustrated me to no end as I was still confined to my bed.

"Hey! What's going on?" I called over to them.

"China and Russia found a room behind one of the bookshelves. It looked really old, with a ton of papers and stuff in it." America called back. I rolled my eyes.

"Can you at least move the meeting over here so we can hear too?" I asked, gesturing towards Italy and I. They looked somewhat sheepish as they transferred to the beds.

"Mission report?" America asked. China grumbled (I think I heard a don't tell me what to do, which was childish for a 4,000+ year old Nation) but gave a report.

"We pulled the lever in one of the rooms of the annexe, which opened a secret door behind the bookcase in the room adjacent to the annexe library. Inside was what looked like an old fashioned laboratory. Not a scientific laboratory through, a magical one."

"How did you know it was magical?" I interrupted. China gave me an annoyed glance.

"I am one of the oldest Nations in the world, I know how to distinguish magic from science." I winced internally. Right, magic wasn't a foreign concept for the Nations.

"Since I have the most knowledge on magic, I should probably take a look at that room. Whatever this place's owner was researching might explain it's peculiar properties." England decided. There were no objections.

"All of these are written in Japanese, but I found some books that were written in Dutch." Russia mentioned, gesturing to two of the books they brought back. England picked one of them up and inspected the cover.

"It's a book on magical hot spots," He announced. "Specifically how to use them. If we assume that these books are from some time during Japan's isolation period, these sort of books would be relatively rare."

"Why do you think it's from Japan's isolation period?" I interrupted again. This time it was Japan himself who answered.

"During that time my trade with the outside world was very restricted. Until America-san introduced himself in 1866 the only Western nation I traded with was Netherlands-san." I nodded.

"I think I remember that strip from the anime. Black ships, right?" I asked. America and Japan nodded.

"Not to mention that the Dutch aren't well known for their magical research. If the researcher wanted to have the best information on magical hot spots, they would be more successful with a British or even French text." England added.

"They might also have been involved with the trade, since they seem to have had many Western influences." France agreed. "The Mansion is not in traditional Japanese style, and getting these books would be expensive. It would have been much easier to obtain these books with your own trading company. The ability to speak Dutch would also have been important in that business, especially if you were to deal with foreign merchants. All of these skills point to a foreign influence."

I sat there, amazed at their deductive skills. Romano, however, wasn't as impressed.

"So what, we know when these books are from. Do you have any ideas on how to get out of here?" He grumbled. England frowned.

"The more we know about the enchantments on the Mansion the closer we are to breaking them." He shot back. I blinked in surprise.

"Enchantments?" I asked. Prussia laughed.

"What, do you think this place is can keep us in with just walls? We could have chopped through the door with Spain's battleaxe, and that isn't even looking at the time bullshit. Everything is magically reinforced, and the only way out is to drop the enchantments or get the key. Since we can't find the key our best hope is to get rid of the enchantments and bust our way out of here." He explained. My head spun with all of this new information. I wish they had told me about this before now. Though I can admit that not acknowledging the enchantments that were right in front of my face was pretty idiotic. My only defense was not being used to the concept of magic yet.

"So our next move should be examining that room." America concluded. "Okay, meeting over! Anyone else hungry?"

"America, you look nothing like Hungary."

"What?"

"Can I help make lunch?" I asked. Canada, who had taken up the role of medic, thought for a moment.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" He asked. I nodded, excited to get out of bed. "Then I guess it's alright, as long as you have someone with you at all times."

"I'll do it." France volunteered. "I was planning on cooking anyways."

"I can help too!" Spain decided. Prussia grinned at us.

"Have room for one more?" I wondered at the effectiveness of having the BTT watching over me while I was weak, but I shrugged it off. Despite their many mischaracterizations in the fandom they were all decent people. Prussia held out a hand, standing up. I took it and rearranged myself so that I was sitting on the edge of the bed. When I stood up I felt dizzy for a few moments, but it faded.

"Let's cook!" I said, as I felt myself filling with determination. I was tired of sitting around.


	41. Chapter 41

**Hello again! Sorry about the hiatus, I have no excuse. There are only a few more chapters left, which makes me a little sad. I made the document with HetaEmma on it August 15, 2015, which means that it's over a year old! Hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own Hetalia or HetaOni. Hetalia belongs to Hidekazu Himaruya and HetaOni was made by Tomoyoshi and translated by PianoDream and others.**

* * *

 _"Have room for one more?" I wondered at the effectiveness of having the BTT watching over me while I was weak, but I shrugged it off. Despite their many mischaracterizations in the fandom they were all decent people. Prussia held out a hand, standing up. I took it and rearranged myself so that I was sitting on the edge of the bed. When I stood up I felt dizzy for a few moments, but it faded._

 _"Let's cook!" I said, as I felt myself filling with determination. I was tired of sitting around._

* * *

The BTT had decided that we were baking. I was given the task of stirring, which I was pretty sure what they had deemed the safest and least draining. France and Spain, being the better bakers, had taken on doing everything else. Prussia officially had the role of manager and taste tester. Unofficially, he stole the batter and made sure I didn't suddenly faint from exhaustion. The trio really took it to heart when Canada told them that I should have someone with me at all times.

Not that I was complaining. Sure their hovering could get annoying, but I understood why it was necessary. Earlier I had caught a glimpse of my reflection in on of the bowls, and I had almost tripped in surprise. If Prussia hadn't caught me I would've faceplanted into the counter. Apparently England's spell had used the energy I had stored as fat as well as the energy I had been using.

I looked malnourished and frail. It wasn't too extreme, but it didn't look too healthy either. Seeing me look like that…

"Emma, are you alright?" Spain asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What? Oh, I'm fine. Just got lost in my thoughts for a moment." I reassured him. He grinned and said something in Spanish. I sighed. "I don't know Spanish, I took ASL in school."

"You know American Sign Language?" Prussia asked from his perch on the counter. I nodded.

"Sort of. I think I know enough to at least get my point across. My friend's uncle was deaf so she wanted to learn ASL, and I joined her."

"Huh. Think Steve knows ASL?" Prussia asked jokingly. Shrugging, I turned back to my stirring. We stayed quiet for a few minutes.

"The batter should be done by now." France said, taking the bowl from me. I sighed and leaned against the counter.

"What's wrong?" Spain asked.

"Nothing," I replied, "Just thinking about the weird dream Italy and I had."

"The one with Not Holy Rome?" Prussia clarified.

"I haven't had any other strange communal dreams." I said dully. France chuckled.

"Who do you think the boy is?" He asked.

"My guess would be the son of the guy who used to own this place." Prussia offered, trying to sneak another taste of the batter.

"Why you you think that?" I asked. Prussia shrugged.

"You said he was about ten, so he probably didn't write the notes on magic. And if our theory about this place belonging to a merchant is true, that would need to be run by an adult. He also knew about the Germany thing, and I don't think that we've talked about it in this time loop. That would mean he's heard us talking about it in another time loop. Add in the fact that he knew the Mansion really well, everything points to a kid who used to live with the owner of the Mansion who's been through multiple time loops." I thought about that for a moment.

"That makes it sound like he's the one trapping us here." I said slowly. Prussia nodded.

"Maybe he's a ghost that's haunting the Mansion." France suggested. I shrugged and our conversation was interrupted by a celebratory shout from America.

"I wonder what's happened?" Spain said. Prussia hopped off the counter.

"Let's find out!" He offered a hand to me and I accepted it.

Apparently England had made a breakthrough with the magic notes.

"If you use this sequence here, as well as these runes, you could theoretically link yourself to a hot spot. The only problem would be the amount of magic you were channeling. It would completely overload your magic system, killing you in the process." He was explaining.

"What did you find out?" I asked, not understanding any of what I just heard.

"According to England, the person who wrote these notes was trying to obtain immortality using the power of the magical hot spot." Canada explained.

"But how is that supposed to get us out of here?" Romano asked. England deflated.

"I'm not sure. But at least we know more about the enchantments surrounding this place." He replied.

"Well, at least it's a start!" I encouraged. "The more we know, the better!"

"It would be useful if we had more notes." Russia noted. "Maybe the the descriptions of the enchantments would be in there."

"We should send a group!" America decided.

"I should go since I have an idea of what we're looking for." England volunteered.

"I know a little about magic, so I should go too." Russia agreed.

"I want to go." Said China. "We should probably have one more, just to be safe."

"I'll go." Canada piped up. "That makes four."

"I need to grab a few things, then we can go." England said. "Anyone else need anything?" Nobody said anything, but there was a ding from the kitchen.

"The food is ready!" France announced. "Emma, would you like to help?" I nodded and we headed back to the kitchen.

"Now all we have to do is stir, then apply the glaze!" France finished. I nodded tiredly. He noticed. "Are you alright? Do you feel like you're going to faint?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need to sit down for a moment." I lowered myself to the ground, opposite of the unlit fireplace.

"If you're sure." France replied. I could feel his eyes on me as I leaned my head against the cupboards. A moment later I lifted it up again.

"Is the fireplace sparkling?"

"What?" France asked, looking mildly concerned for my sanity. "The fireplace looks perfectly normal."

"No, that wasn't…" I sighed. "That was poor word choice, but there's something shiny in the back of the fireplace. You can't notice when you're standing up, but from my position on the floor it's pretty obvious." France knelt beside me.

"Oh, I see it too. Is it a plaque?" We were kneeling right next to the fireplace, our heads almost inside.

"It looks a little small to be a plaque." I said doubtfully. "It's covered in soot. Maybe we could clean it off to get a better look."

"Why are you sticking your heads in the fireplace?" Romano's voice asked from behind us. I jumped, just barely avoiding cracking my head on said fireplace.

"Ah Romano. Could you possibly get us a damp cloth?" France asked pleasantly, head still in the fireplace.

"Why can't you do it yourself? I'm not your goddamn slave." Romano grumbled back.

"You're the only one that's standing, so it would make sense that you would do it." France argued.

"I'll do it then!" I interrupted, starting to stand. Romano's eyes immediately flicked to my frail appearance.

"I've got it." He huffed. "No need for you to knock yourself out over a stupid towel." I settled back down next to the fireplace. France smirked.

"Here's your damn towel." Romano said, thrusting it at him. "Now can you answer my question?"

"I saw something shiny in the fireplace, but it's covered in soot so we can't tell what it is." I explained, "We need the cloth to clean it off." Romano crouched down next to us as France wiped off the shiny thing.

"Huh. It looks like a keyhole." Romano offered. "A very strange keyhole." What we had thought was a plaque of some sort was actually a circular keyhole set into the bricks of the wall.

"I don't see what it's supposed to open though." France said, frowning. "There's no crack for a doorway."

"Maybe it's magic." Romano suggested, "Like the rest of this place."

"What are you looking at?" Japan asked, once again from behind us. I was proud to say that I didn't jump this time.

"There's a really strange keyhole in the back of the fireplace." I said. Japan joined us in kneeling down next to the fireplace.

"Didn't we find a strange key earlier?" Japan asked. "The one with the family seal on it." I had almost forgotten about it. That key had been so strange, coming in two parts and not being key shaped.

"I think China had it last." I said, trying to remember.

"He gave it to me, and I gave it to Germany-san." Japan added.

"Bruder's over by the table, avoiding Italy." Prussia announced. I stood up shakily.

"Let's go talk to him, then."


End file.
